Can I Be Added To The Baby Munson Taglist Please??

I know what the Hunter girlies (gn) really want for this season from their boy.

Wet hair.

Freddy Carter + breaking character as Kaz Brekker

The Emperor of Magic | Part 5

Summary: Now trapped inside their worst nightmares, the crows need to find a way out in order to stop the emperor. Thankfully, Kaz is always one step ahead and figures out a solution.

Warning: +18 Warning, verbally and mentally abusive parent, deceased relatives, blood, gore, many mentions of death, working in the menagerie, choking, attempted murder and suicide

Pairing: Kaz Brekker x Fem!Reader

Type: Series

Word Count: 6.8k

Author’s Note: This is the end of the series! I really hoped you enjoyed reading this because I have had this story concept in my drafts for a long time. Let me know your thoughts and have a great week!!!

Series Masterlist

The emperor of magic stood in the center of six fallen bodies. She could feel a single bead of sweat rolling down the side of her temple, uncertain if it was from the blazing hot heat waves or if it was from mental strain. Her eyes remained shut as she struggled to keep the six crows under the veil of darkness.

Normally, it wasn’t hard to get inside someone’s head and drive them towards the point of insanity. But this time was different. She needed to take all six crows down, which was no easy task at hand. It didn’t help that they were all incredibly clever and intelligent; they weren't just dumb witted folk. This made the mental battle all the more challenging for her. 

Despite this, the emperor was determined to succeed. She needed to keep them unconscious, forcing them captive within their worst memories and nightmares. With great struggle, the emperor managed to break the chains that bound her. She also was able to get loose from the customized straight jacket that had failed to hinder her powerless. She threw those to the side. 

Afterwards, the emperor pulled the bag off her head. She discarded it by tossing into the heap of sand. She removed the final eye covering and ear pieces strapped around her head. She was now finally met with the blinding rays of the sun for the first time in nearly three years. 

Wylan’s Nightmare:

As soon as his eyes changed black, Wylan’s body succumbed to a dream-like or comatose state. When he managed to regain consciousness, his eyes began to flutter open and he could see a completely different atmosphere. He quickly sat up upon realizing where he was. 

The mansion was known to be one of the most beautifully constructed and decorated house in all of Ketterdam. It belonged to the a well-respected member of the Merchant Council which just so happened to be Jan Van Eck himself. 

Naturally, Wylan recognized the house that he had spent his early childhood years in. It all came flooding back into his memory; the marble floors sparkled as they must have been polished to perfection and the high wooden beams that stretched across the ceiling held brilliant chandeliers. The furniture was the most expensive thing on the market at the time. The mansion couldn’t be anything less than perfect.

Now looking down, Wylan saw that he was dressed in one of his old beige suits which now explained why his collar felt so tight around his neck. He went ahead and loosened it immediately. He also realized that his wild hair was tamed and combed down like it always had been when he was a young boy.

In the short distance, Wylan heard a voice talking in the other room. He carefully rose to his feet and made it way over to the door that was slightly cracked open. Peering through the crack, Wylan’s eyes fell on the man he once called ‘father.’ And his breath caught in the back of his throat. 

“You stupid, stupid boy.” Jan Van Eck said with a shake of his head. 

That familiar pang of guilt shot straight to his heart; he had gotten too squinted with those words in his childhood. His father always shaming him, calling him stupid or worthless. He clutched the frame around the door, squeezing his eyes shut to keep the tears at bay.

“You’re a disgrace!” 

All of the sudden, Jan Van Eck slammed his hands down and discarded everything that lay on the desk which included books, pens, and papers of the sort. The burst of fury only caused Wylan to flinch something terrible; something else that he still hadn’t grown accustomed to.

“Can’t read, can’t write.” Jan Van Eck scoffed to himself. He gritted his teeth together. “You’re absolutely worthless!”

Without thinking, Wylan burst through the slightly open door in a rage of fury. For once in his life, he was going to tell it straight to his father and he wasn’t going to let him push him around anymore. His fists were clenched at his sides and his jaw was locked. 

Upon hearing the door slamming against the wall, Jan Van Eck turned to face his disgrace of a so-called son. He narrowed his eyes at his approaching figure, not expecting much from him anyways.

“You...” Wylan began, but he struggled to find his voice as it was laced with red hot anger. He pointed a finger at him accusingly. “You do not know me,” Wylan claimed with tears pricking the corners of his eyes.

“I know you’ll never evolve,” Van Eck spat. “Spent years trying to change you, trying to shape you.”

“I don’t need to be changed!” Wylan yelled back. His face turned beat red in his fit of rage. 

“You weren’t enough,” Van Eck said with a shake of the head. “You could have been so much, but you're worthless.”

“We never were the same person,” Wylan seethed. He jammed a finger directly into the man’s chest. “I am not you and I was never going to live up to your name.”

“It doesn’t matter now,” Van Eck’s lips shifted into a sinister smile. “Because I’ll still always be there to haunt your nightmares.”

Very slowly, Wylan took a step backwards in his place upon coming to the realization that he wouldn’t be able to get rid of the image of his father in his mind. It will always haunt him and he can’t change that. He suddenly became aware of the situation; that he was living his worst nightmare. And his worst nightmare was being stuck with Jan Van Eck.

Backing away, Wylan wanted nothing more than to leave. He hurried out of the room, charging upstairs to escape to the place where his old bedroom was. He closed the door behind him, twisting the lock in its place. He moved away from the door then. But he didn’t know of the dark figure that stood behind him, watching his every move.

Back in reality, the emperor was left standing and staring directly at Wylan’s limp body in the sand. She studied him carefully. She caught a glimpse of a small tear escaping the corner of his eye and rolling down his cheek.

Jesper’s Memory

When Jesper finally awoke from his unconscious state, he too was most surprised with his surroundings. He shifted into a sitting position, rubbing the back of his neck as if he had a kink in it. He came to realize that he wasn’t in Ketterdam and he wasn't in Ravka either. It almost looked like...

Upon further inspection, Jesper found himself in the middle of a field. He rose to his feet slowly. His long trench coat danced in the breeze. His heart sank in his chest. The memories of his childhood came flooding back into his mind.

These fields were all too familiar to him. Amid the wheat, amid the soft golden ears, moved the unseen wind. The wheels of straw rested on their earthen bed, soaking in the brilliant sunshine. Under the sky that is made all the more pretty for the scattered clouds, the white puffs that radiate white light. It was a simple scene. 

His softened gaze fell on the small little house in the short distance. It looked like something from an old photograph; a deep memory that he had almost forgotten. His feet began to carry him to the house. The dark figure followed after him without his knowledge.

Coming to the house, Jesper lifted a hand to pull the colorful blanket away from the doorway. He stepped into the entrance. His hand fell to his side and his heart had never felt more heavy.

It was a small house in the sense that it was all one room. The ground was made of fresh orange dirt and the walls had been lifted by his father at one time. A small stove sat in the corner. And there was a little wooden table for eating. Two beds lay on either side of the room. One of them had an occupant. 

“Mama?” Jesper asked just as horrified as the moment he had found her years ago.

His mother always wore the most magnificent colors that made her complexion glow. Her favorite color was yellow in which she was dressed in. She wore these orange and yellow heavy beads around her neck. And her hands rested on her chest. She must have been asleep.

“Mama,” Jesper called again. He felt the tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. He approached her bedside, dropping to his knees to be at her side.“Mama, wake up. I’m here,” Jesper pleaded.

He took her hand in his own, bringing it up to his lips to press a firm kiss to it. He failed to keep his tears at bay, feeling them now cascading down the sides of his face. He shook her hand gently as if half expecting her to wake up and rid him of this horrid nightmare. 

“Mama. Wake up. I need you,” Jesper cried. The dark figure stood looming over him as he was forced to once again grieve the loss of his mother.

Leaving the memory, the emperor of magic shifted her gaze away in order to face her next victim. The heartrender lay motionless in the sand with a hand near the side of her face. She looked so peaceful in the moment, but she knew she was already experiencing the worst thing she could imagine. 

Nina’s Nightmare:

The Little Palace had been home for so many years. All the Grisha were sent to live at the palace after they had been tested for powers at a young age. Depending on which order one was classified into, they would be dressed in the appropriate color coordination.

Every room was created by the most beautiful and delicate hand. The hallway floors were made from the finest marble, sparkling in the early morning hours. Grand oil paintings hung on the craved marble walls. The quartz pillars upheld the vast ceilings in the grand staircase. 

For some reason, Nina found herself walking through those hallways she used to call home. She felt a little disoriented because, with every turn, the palace just seemed so empty. She’d peek into rooms and poke around a corridor, but still, nobody was in sight.

She called out for others. “Zoya? Alina? Where is everyone?”

When Nina finally approached her old bedroom, she saw that the door was already cracked open and a blood stain painted the once golden knob. She pushed the door open gently, cautiously stepping into the old room. Her breath caught in her throat.

Because what Nina saw was something she hoped she would never have to see. All of the Grisha she had once known and who she had grown up with were laid lifelessly on the floor. Their colored uniforms were burnt, torn, destroyed, and soaked in blood. She couldn’t tell if it was their blood or soemone else’s.

Glancing past the bodies, Nina named every single face she saw. Her heart never felt so heavy and burdened. She choked back a sob because even though she had left the little palace long ago, she still called it home. The Grisha were her people; nothing would ever change that. But now, they all lay dead in front of her. 

At one point, Nina’s eyes settled on the still body of her old friend Zoya. She rushed to be at her side, dropping to her knees. Her hands went to hover over her heart with every intention of helping her. But Zoya’s hand came up to clasp her wrist to stop her. Her pained eyes shifted to face the heartrender beside her.

“Y-You,” Zoya grunted through her teeth. She felt blood seeping past her lips. “Y-Y..You left us,” Zoya claimed.

“I-I didn’t want to,” Nina said with a swift shake of the head. “I never wanted to leave you behind.”

“But you did,” Zoya pointed out. “You abandoned us. And for what? A Fjerdan who only murders your people.”

“H-He’s not like that,” Nina insisted. She felt tears streaming down her cheeks. “No, Matthias would never hurt me.”

“It’s because of his people that we are left scarce,” Zoya said. “They came in the night. They slaughtered us.”

This comment made the heartrender glance around once more to see the familiar faces that surrounded her. She saw the red blood that painted so many faces. She felt only one heartbeat in the room besides her own.

“I didn’t know,” Nina claimed.

“No,” Zoya shook her head. “No, you knew. You’ve always known that they hunt people like us. That they kill people like us. You’ve known, but you chose to ignore it.”

“I-I’m so sorry, Zoya.”

“And now, you will have to live with the fact that you got us killed. You let them in and made us vulnerable,” Zoya claimed. “Y-You are the reason the Grisha will be extinct,” Zoya finished.

All of the sudden, Zoya began choking on her own blood. It spilled out of her mouth in waves. Though Nina tried to help her, it was already too late. Her body became relaxed after the coughing came to a halt. Her eyes were glassed over in a haze. And her breathing came to a final halt. 

All at once, Nina felt an overwhelming amount of shame and guilt in her heart. She dropped her head down, feeling the tears streaming out of her eyes at a fast rate. She raised a shaky hand to cover her mouth in hopes of muffling her sobs. She squeezed her eyes shut, struggling to regain composure. 

The dark figure that stood behind her took one final glance around the room. It took a single step backwards before choosing to return back to reality. Her eyes fixed on the person laying beside the heartrender.

Matthias’s Nightmare:

For some reason, Matthias thought he was dreaming again. He only thought this because he always saw her in his dreams. His dreams were quite often unsatisfying since he never really knew what he wanted. There were times that he dreamed of finally killing the heartrender that tormented him and then there were times he dreamed about how her lips felt when he kissed her. She was always a mystery to him, which made him realize that he didn’t know what he wanted. 

Now Matthias didn’t know where he was or where he was going. He had a feeling that he must have been within Fjerdan territory since there was a blizzard waging around him. He could barely see in front of him from all the snow and wind blasting in his face. 

For a moment, Matthias shifted his focus to his footing. He watched himself lift each foot in front of the other, trudging forward through the heaps of snow. That’s when he saw red. 

The dark figure had been following him this whole time. She watched carefully for his reaction. The splotch of red in the snow must have been blood. He followed the trail of blood until his eyes fell on a body laying in the snow a couple feet ahead of him. His heart sank.

“Nina!” Matthias called out. 

He hurried to her side, basically collapsing beside her in the snow. He was able to pull her body to lay on her backside before taking a look at her wounds. His hands hovered over her lifeless body, unsure of what to do in the moment.

Her face was so pale; her lips were already blue from the cold. Her eyes remained shut since they had been closed long ago. Her hair was frozen from the blood that leaked from her head. In fact, Nina’s body was covered with various wounds. She must have bled out from them.

His eyes fell on a particular wound near the junction of her neck. It honestly looked like some creature had taken a large bite out of her neck, which ultimately caused her to bleed to death. But those bite marks looked all too familiar. 

When Matthias lifted his head, there was a grand grey wolf standing in the short distance. It stood calmly as the wind brushed past it’s striking grey and black fur. However, the wolf’s mouth was dripping with the blood of its victim. It was in that moment that Matthias realized wolves might not have been as tame as his people once believed. 

“You did this?” Matthias said in utter disbelief. He stared at the wolf blankly. “W-Why? She didn’t do anything. She didn’t deserve to die like this.”

Slowly, Matthias looked back down to the beautifully calm woman in his arms. He held her tightly in fear of letting her go forever. He lowered his head to press it against her own. He rocked back and forth with his love in his arms, crying quietly to himself. 

“She was all I had left. She was the only one to love me for who I was,” Matthias sobbed. “She loved me even though she wasn’t supposed to,” Matthias whispered.

All Matthias could do was press a soft kiss to the center of her forehead. He stared off into the distance for he was unable to look at the wolf the same again. He cried for what felt like hours on end and he refused to leave her side. 

Inej’s Memory:

The Menagerie was most commonly known as the House of Exotics. This was mainly because the menagerie advertised the exotic beauties of foreign women. They always dressed as specific animals that came from their country or region.

The House of Exotics was almost always filled to the brim with men looking for a good time. They often smoked which filled the house with a thick cloud. There was always heavy liquor seeping from their lips, which made their breath smell awful and their discernment rather thin. The men were able to do whatever they pleased as long as they paid the right price.

During Inej’s time at the Menagerie, she had never felt so low and empty in her life. Now she stood there once again. She wore her old clothes which painted her out to look like a lynx. Her soft brown skin reflexed wonderfully against the brilliant purple silks that hugged her body.

With each step, Inej heard the little bells that wrapped around her ankles. She maneuvered her way through the heavy crowd, passing by drunks and other girls dressed to impress. She didn’t think to question how she got back there or the fact that she was just relieving her worst memory.

When she was there, she felt numb to the rest of the world. And she entirely was  right then and there.

For the moment, Inej was leading this half drunk man upstairs to the private rooms. He had already paid her for her time spent with him. She felt the kruge jingling in her pocket. She brought him to one of the rooms, letting him inside before closing the door behind them.

It didn’t take more than five minutes for the man to emerge from the private room, still in the process of buckling his pants back together. He closed the door with a satisfied smirk on his face before heading back downstairs to the bar for another round. 

Back in the room, Inej lay on the soft bed in a heap of sheets. Her beautiful purple silks had been discarded on the floor. She stare blankly at the ceiling, feeling entirely numb. She felt a single tear seep out of the corner of her eye.

Her core was filled with a sense of shame. Her legs felt weak as if she already knew she’d have trouble walking. Even her shoulder ached slightly since he had bitten down during their time together. She pulled the sheets to cover her bare body, shivering at the memory engraved into her mind.

For a second, Inej closed her eyes as if to wish she could just disappear into the next life. She hated being there. She hated the things she was forced to undergo. She just wanted to be free. Why couldn’t she be free?

The dark figure that stood by the window was looking directly at the saddened woman laying in bed. She even went to turn away from the scene, because it was too much, even for the emperor herself.

Back in reality, the emperor was truly struggling to keep all six of the crows under their own spell. She only needed to hold off for a little longer because they’d eventually discover that they’ll be stuck. They won’t be able to escape those nightmares. That is, not unless...

Kaz’s Nightmare:

When the black clouds came to settle around him, Kaz Brekker was able to get a sense of his surroundings. He had come face to face with his greatest demon.  The familiar eyes of his dear deceased brother were staring right back at him.

Very slowly, Kaz found himself rising to his feet with the help of his cane. He stared at his brother blankly as if he wasn’t at all surprised to see him after all this time. He observed him ever so carefully because one wrong step could be the end for him.

“Hello Kaz,” Jordie said. His lips curved into a mischievous smile. 

When Kaz didn’t say anything or do anything in particular, Jordie furrowed his eyebrows in slight confusion. He took a single step forward. He raised his hands in defeat.

“What? No hello for your long lost brother?” Jordie questioned.

“I know you are not real,” Kaz claimed. He still wore a blank stare on his face.

“Oh, aren't you the clever one?” Jordie almost mocked him. “Even if you think this isn’t real, you're trapped here with me until your brain starts to rot. You’ll never find the way out,” Jordie laughed.

Kaz’s lips twitched into a wicked smile. “Won’t I?”

Just then, Jordie’s face fell blank. He looked at his younger brother with a hint of confusion behind his eyes. He shifted nervously from one foot to the other. “Whatever do you mean?” Jordie laughed cautiously.

“You made one vital mistake,” Kaz claimed. 

Though this time, Kaz wasn’t speaking to the image of his brother. More so, to the dark figure that stood behind him. In a slow manner, Kaz had turned around to face the emperor of magic herself who had been watching the conversation all along. Out of all the crows, Kaz had been the only one clever enough to notice her presence. She was slightly impressed.

“What mistake did I make?” The emperor of magic spoke through slightly gritted teeth. She clenched her fists at her sides to contain her anger because she hated being outsmarted by others. 

“You discovered all our names,” Kaz began. He tipped his head to the side. “Through the same memory,” Kaz added.

Now the emperor tried her hardest to keep a straight face, but he could already see the small sense of panic hiding behind her eyes. She shifted from one foot to another in a nervous manner. She held his gaze strictly.

“Which means, all of these nightmares are connected in some way or another.” Kaz noted. He went to look at some of his surroundings, not necessarily recognizing where he was at the moment. “I wonder if they can hear me,” Kaz said mostly to himself.

“Who?” The emperor asked curiously.

“The other crows,” Kaz seethed through his teeth. He lifted his head to look towards the sky once more. “Jesper, Inej, Nina--” Kaz called for his crows loudly.

“You can’t get out,” the emperor said rather hastily. He directed his attention back to her.

Despite this, Jesper heard the message through his own memory. He raised his head and looked into the distance. All of the other crows were able to hear their boss too. Though it sounded more like a distance echo than anything else. They listened carefully to the conversation that followed.

“You're trapped here. You’ll never figure out how to get out,” the emperor claimed. She breathed a nervous laugh to cover up her slight fear.

“You underestimate me,” Kaz spoke. “Another mistake.”

Just then, Kaz took a single stride forward in his place. In a way, it was almost like he was taunting her or challenging her with knowledge of his own. Because if anyone knew something, it was that Kaz Brekker was always one step ahead of the game. He knew this was going to happen all along.

“Let me ask you something: when do you wake up from a dream?” Kaz questioned. He now stood directly in front of her, staring down at her through hooded eyes. “It’s always right before something terrible happens,” Kaz stated plainly.

The emperor couldn’t have predicted his next move. He immediately seized her throat with his glove clothed hand. She breathed a small gasp of shock as his digits began tightening around her neck. She clawed at his hand, desperate for some form of release.

“Sometimes, you get shot at. Sometimes, there is an accident. And sometimes, you fall.” Kaz recalled some of the dreams he once had and the ways he managed to wake up from them. “But you always wake up,” Kaz said while tightening his grip.

“And my guess is that if you die in this dream, you wake up. Is that right?” Kaz wondered. When the emperor said nothing, Kaz went to tighten his grip again. She winced at the contact. “Is that right?” Kaz repeated himself.

“Y-Ye-s-s,” the emperor struggled. “Y-You’ll w-wa-wake u-up.”

In the meantime, the other crows heard the entire conversation between the two of them in the distance. They finally understood what was happening and what they needed to do in order to get out of their nightmares. There was only one solution to waking up.

Without hesitation, Wylan found his old stash of chemicals in the floorboards of his bedroom. He riffled through various glass vials, searching for two in particular. He raised the two glass vials in his hands, seeing the bright colored liquid that they contained. If mixed together, those chemicals would create a deadly explosion. He popped the corks off them.

In the other dream, Jesper had been slow to rise to his feet. He looked down at the body of his deceased mother, still feeling the tears coming out of his eyes. He reluctantly pulled one of his shiny pearly guns out of his holster at his side. He cautiously raised the gun to the side of his head, squeezing his eyes shut in preparation for what was to come. 

Now Nina was still sitting amongst the bodies of her dearest friends. She contemplated things for a moment, basking in the reality of the situation. She raised her hands in a particular manner, focusing all of her attention on the speed of her own heartbeat. 

Meanwhile, Matthias discovered that he was moving towards the wolf that stared directly at him. He forced himself to place one foot in front of the other. He heard the wolf growling in a threatening manner. He knelt into the snow as if ready to accept his fate. He closed his eyes just as the wolf lunged for his throat.

In the menagerie, Inej had climbed to the rooftop of the institution. She peered over the edge, looking to see several stories below her. She climbed onto the ledge, keeping her arms out at her sides for balance. She put one step forward before falling to her death.

Back in his own nightmare, Kaz carried the emperor’s face a little closer to his own. He studied her carefully as if searching for any sense of faulty. He narrowed his eyes at her. He kept his grip firm, despite her desperately grabbing at the lapels of his trench coat. She was begging for release.

“B-Bu--t I’ll be l-long gone by then,” the emperor claimed. Her lips curved upwards into a smile. “Y-You’ll ne-never catch u-up to me.”

“You’re bluffing,” Kaz called it. Her smile fell. “You haven’t left yet. You’re keeping us under as long as you can. And once we are lost, then you’ll make your escape.”

And indeed he did call it.

“Y-You have n-no idea what y-your up a-against,” the emperor struggled to speak. She was quick to send a firm gab into his stomach, which caused him to release his grip on her neck. She ran past him as quickly as she could. 

With the nightmares being connected, the emperor was able to open a portal into one of the first nightmares. She jumped through the portal, taking a brief moment to look at the scene in front of her. It was the old mansion.

But the once pristine bedroom was now covered in a thick layer of blackened ash and dust. The soft brown floorboard had been burnt, laced with an unknown chemical burning through the wood itself. The velvet curtains had caught on fire. And the wallpaper had been destroyed beyond repair. Amongst the destroyed scene was the small lifeless body of the demolitions expert. 

“No,” the emperor whispered to herself. “He’s gone already.”

Which only meant that Wylan was awake in reality. In haste, the emperor went to open another portal into the next nightmare with every intention of stopping the next crow from waking up. All she was able to find was a limp body laying on the ground. The sharpshooter still held one of his guns in his hand, but a bullet had already entered his skull. He lay there as the blood spilled from the headshot.

The panic began to take over. The emperor dream hopped to the next one through the access of another portal. Amongst the bodies of deceased Grisha was the familiar heartrender. She lay peacefully amongst her own people, having chosen to slow and stop her own heart.

Now the emperor was growing agitated and frustrated. She went to open another portal which led her to the ice cold lands. She squinted through the blizzard storm only to find a wolf feasting on the body of a unmoving druskelle. The wolf raised its head and bared its now blood stained teeth.

Finally, the emperor forced herself to run as fast as she could through the final portal. She hurried to the edge of the building, being quick to peer over the edge. She spotted a motionless body nearly six stories below the building. She had jumped. 

The emperor of magic had failed to keep them at bay. They all managed to escape their worst nightmares, which meant that they were all awake and ready to take her on in the real world. She needed to get out of this dream.

“You’ve lost. Admit it,” a familiar voice said from behind her.

When the emperor turned around in her place, Kaz Brekker was looking directly at her. He wore an infamous smirk on his face. He had followed her through every single portal, dream hopping right behind her. This also meant that he had seen each of his crows dead which couldn’t have been easy. 

“They are back in reality by now. Getting ready to put a stop to you,” Kaz stated as a matter of fact.

“What about you? You can’t leave unless you die,” the emperor took notice. 

“That was never part of the plan,” Kaz claimed. Her face fell. “The plan was to keep you under as long as possible because that is the only way you can be stopped from the outside. You can’t fight me in here and them out there at the same time,” Kaz explained.

Back in the desert, the five crows came to surround the emperor who stood in the center of them. The others turned to face the heartrender amongst them, giving her the signal through the form of a single nod. She raised her hands in a particular motion, slowing the heart rate of the emperor of magic.

In the dream sequence, the emperor grunted at the feeling of her heart being squeezed and slowed down. She clutched at her chest in attempts to stop what she felt. She lifted her head to look directly at the man himself. Realizing that she had been bested, the emperor was quick to turn around in her place and charge towards the edge of the building.

Without hesitation, Kaz followed directly behind her with every intention of stopping her from jumping over the side and waking up from this nightmare. Just as the emperor leaped from the ledge, Kaz grasped onto the emperor’s forearm to stop her.

From the mere pull of gravity, the emperor’s body slammed against the brick wall of the institution. He had been pulled down slightly, but he was still able to keep a firm grasp on her while hanging over the side of the ledge. She fought against his tight grip, trying to get loose so she could fall. 

“I won’t let you,” Kaz grunted. He struggled to maintain his hold on her, but he shook his head at her careless behavior. “I can’t let you hurt them.”

“Then you’ll just have to come with me,” the emperor told him. She pushed off the brick wall with both of her feet. She used all of her strength to pull him over the edge of the building. 

Together, both bodies began to plummet to the ground from the force of gravity. The two of them stared at one another, sensing that familiar feeling of falling to the ground with no control whatsoever. Just as the two of them would hit the ground, their bodies jolted awake back in reality. And the real challenge began.

It was rather odd. It was almost like the heartrender was holding the heart with her own two hands, forcing the heart rate to slow down. Just as Nina thought the heartbeat would come to a final halt, it was like she felt two hands envelope her own from within the chest. 

Those invisible hands holding her own began to pry her fingers off of the heart itself. She eventually realized she didn’t have a grasp on the heart anymore; that it was probably back to its normal self in terms of heart rate. The feeling of those hands covering her own began to close in.

In a split second, Nina let out a terrible scream of pain as her hands got crushed by the ones that kept hers captive. The emperor of magic kept her hands clenched into tight fists as she broke every bone in the heartrender’s hands. 

Naturally, Nina ended up dropping to her knees on the ground. She clutched her hands close to her chest for some form of comfort, but she wasn’t able to stop she blood from spewing from the joints in her fingers or the bones from poking out of the back of her hands. She never felt so much pain in her life.

“Nina,” Matthias called out to her. 

Though part of him wanted to rush to her side, a bigger part of him wanted nothing more than to stop the emperor once and for all. With a mighty war yell, Matthias charged towards the emperor of magic who kept her back to him. He raised his two fists above his head and brought them barreling down.

But at the last second, the emperor spun around on the heels of her feet to surprise him. She drew her own fist back and sent it directly into the center of his chest. With the force of her magic, Matthias was forced backwards in his place. His body dragged across the desert sands as he felt the wind truly knocked out of his chest. His chest burned painfully.

Now the emperor went to face the other three crows standing amongst her. With Jesper drawing his two guns out of his holsters and Inej wielding her precious knives, Kaz waited to signal them to attack her with his cane. She went to take a step towards them, but was stopped when something hit the side of her head.

A bright pink powder escaped from the small glass vial that hit the side of her head. The powder sparkled in the bright sunbeams that beat down on them. She didn’t even realize that she managed to breathe the powder in, but it began to greatly affect her senses. She turned towards the small person who had through that at her. 

In the short distance, Wylan went to grab another vial from his pouch. He hoped to hit her with something to make her sense weaken so it might be easier to take her down. Just as Wylan pulled the vial out, he felt an invisible hand wrap around the expanse of his neck. He was dragged forward by an unforeseen force until his neck made contact with the emperor’s cupped hand. 

Without warning, Wylan’s body was slammed to the ground by the emperor. She went to straddle his chest, keeping him pinned to the ground. He grasped at the hands wrapped around his neck, desperately trying to loosen her grip on him. He gasped her air. He felt the life being squeezed out of him.

Before Wylan lost the oxygen in his chest, a gunshot rang through the air. The bullet managed to lodge itself directly into the emperor’s shoulder, which caused her to release her grasp on the boy’s neck. She slumped backwards in her place, reaching up to grasp the wound on her shoulder. 

The emperor scurried to stand to her feet with every intention of finishing off these crows. Her vision began to blur and her head felt dizzy. Despite this, the emperor managed to raise her hands to put up a fight. 

The three crows worked in a synchronous harmony, taking timed turns to throw different strikes. Now Inej was the first one to step forward with her knives drawn at her sides. She took a couple swipes which the emperor managed to dodge barely. Then Jesper fired a couple rounds from his pearly guns. He manipulated the bullets to fly exactly where he wanted, but the emperor waved her hands to direct the bullets elsewhere. Finally, Kaz went to step up. He raised his cane and swung with all his might. He struck her once or twice, but it wasn’t enough to take her down.

Suddenly, the emperor felt a large arm wrap around her backside which put her into a tight headlock. Her knees were knocked out from behind, forcing her to drop to her knees. Behind her, Matthias tried to maintain a tight grip on the smaller body. He grunted upon feeling her fight against him.

Slowly, Kaz went to approach her. He raised his cane in the air, bringing it towards her face. He stared her down carefully.

“Admit it,” Kaz repeated himself. “You’ve lost. We’ve bested you.”

The emperor choked upon feeling the grip tighten around her neck. “B-But I haven’t lost,” the emperor claimed.

“We’ll kill you,” Jesper explained. He came to stand beside his boss. He raised his guns to point directly at her head. “No hesitation,” Jesper stated firmly.

“And it will be slow,” Inej added. She pressed the edge of her knife against the emperor's check, swiping it away to leave a sharp mark. “And painful,” Inej said. 

“You can kill me,” the emperor of magic told them. Her voice grew heavier as if the demon inside her was speaking. “But it will be your mistake because I always come back.”

Before the emperor could say another word, Kaz raised his golden cane above his head and brought it barreling down into her skull. The body ended up collapsing to the ground from the mere force of the swing. He continued to beat in her skull until there was nothing left, but a pool of blood and brain. The blood painted his face in a gruesome manner.

“Kaz!” Inej called out. She had hoped to bring him back to reality. He finally stopped beating the body to death. “It’s done,” Inej claimed.

The crows had gone through so much within the past few days. They had schemed their way back into the court and somehow managed to escape. They ended up having to relive their worst memories and became temporarily trapped in their own nightmares. They needed to escape those nightmares in the form of killing themselves. And they had to defeat the emperor after taking some heavy hits from her. Despite all this, they managed to survive, just like they always did.

But for some reason, Kaz just had a feeling that she’d be back just like she said. 

THAT IS THE END OF THE SERIES! PLEASE TELL ME YOUR THOUGHTS! SO SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG TO POST.

TAGLIST:

@d34drapunzel @adorawritesalot @vixythepixie @theghostofshadows @lonelywitchv2 @arcadialine @zeeader @cleverzonkwombatsludge @shara-ne @iloveinej @ireallydontcareanymorebrooo @mystic-mara @missymisha @tremendoushearttaco​ @home-of-disaster​ @gh0stgirl333​ @harrydimples @marina468 @phoenix666stuff @grippleback-galaxy​ @mariar31 @theghostofshadows​ 

Diana Munson sounds the best out of all the name’s

I like where this is headed😁

The Sergeant's Senator | Chapter 7

Summary: The day of the vote has finally arrived. As the senator prepares her departure to the senate, the assassin makes one final attempt which ends up causing more destruction than anticipated.

Warning: language, suggestive sexual content, assassination attempt, weapons used (guns and bombs), sniper/shooter/assassin mentioned, characters getting shot at, blood lose and major bodily injuries, slight language, somebody dying

Pairing: Hunter x Fem!Reader Senator

Type: Short Series

Word Count: 4.4k words

Series Masterlist

An agreement had been reached the following morning. Despite their growing feelings for one another, the sergeant and senator came to realize that they could never truly be together. Should it come out that they were a thing, they'd both be demoted from their positions and the sergeant would be decommissioned. Therefore, they decided the sever the connection altogether. And it was the most painful thing either of them had to do.

For whatever time they had left working together, they created boundaries with one another to prevent feelings from developing any further. The distance between the two was bound to cause a deeper longing to reunite. But they knew this couldn't happen and their time was running out.

In the morning, Senator Rayna made the decision to fill out the application form for a new escort. Signing her name had never been so difficult in her life and sending the form off to the guard only caused tears to well in the corners of her eyes.

There was no point in putting it off, especially since Echo knew about it and it would have only been a matter of time before the others found out. As the leader of the group, Hunter ended up breaking the news to them when they arrived that day. He explained that the senator sent in the paperwork and that they should be receiving new orders any day now.

The Bad Batch took the news with mixed emotions. While they missed being in action on the field, there was something simple about protecting a senator in a busy city. It seemed like Crosshair was the only one who was the most pleased with the news, muttering a "finally" under his breath.

The Senator of Coruscant had been standing near the back of the room, listening to the entire conversation with her head hanging low. Her heart never ached so badly then it did in that moment. She tried keeping the tears back.

The memories of their night spend together weighed heavy on her mind, wishing more than ever that she'd be able to have that again with him. Though it was highly unlikely.

After breaking the news, Hunter's eyes drifted up to gaze at the senator from across the room. Only Y/n was quick to look away in order to avoid any more unnecessary pain. He wanted nothing more than to reach out to her, to touch her arm and reassure her that everything was going to be alright even if they weren't there. But he just couldn't do it.

What drew Hunter out of his thoughts was when Echo went up to approach him. He saw the conflict behind his eyes and in his demeanor. He brought a reassuring hand to his shoulder.

"That couldn't have been an easy conversation for you two," Echo noted with a sense of concern in his voice.

"No," Hunter hung his head low. He pushed the pain in his heart away. "It wasn't."

"You really did care about her, didn't you?" Echo wondered. He tilted his head to the side slightly.

"Still do," Hunter acknowledged painfully with a shrug of the shoulders. "Just...can't do anything about it now."

With some hesitation, Echo nodded his head as if to say he understood where he was coming from. He gave his shoulder a couple pats, reassuring him that he'd get over this eventually. But Hunter wondered if he truly could.

Near the back of the room, Crosshair managed to sneak his way over to stand right beside the senator. He leaned back against the wall and cross his arms over his chest. His eyes briefly glanced up at Hunter from across the room, curious to what Echo was talking to him about. He struck up his own conversation.

"He looks miserable," Crosshair grunted. He pulled a single toothpick out of his box, popping it into his mouth to naw on. "Makes you wonder what kinds of things were said between you two yesterday."

"It was a private conversation," Y/n said sourly. She wore an evident frown on her face. "What was said is meant to stay private."

"It doesn't matter anyways," Crosshair shrugged off. "Because we'll be shipped off soon. And everything will go back to normal like how it always should have been."

His words sounded like they were laced with fire. The senator turned her body to face him, staring up at him with a slight look of shock on her face.

"You've never liked me," Senator Rayna pointed out. "From the moment you got here, I could only see the contempt behind your eyes."

"I don't just dislike you," Crosshair pushed off the wall to face her. He leaned down to be eye level and pushed himself forward slightly. With narrowed eyes, Crosshair spat out how he truly felt: "I despise you."

Upon hearing those words, Senator Rayna's face only dropped. A massive wave of newfound hurt sought to drown her and consumed her entire body. She felt the tears gathering in her eyes, which she tried to hide because she knew it would only bring him satisfaction.

"W-What have I ever d-done to you?" Y/n said through her tears.

"It's not what you did to me. It's what you did to him," Crosshair acknowledged. He tipped his head to gesture to his oldest brother from across the room. She turned her head to look towards the sergeant. "You made him weak and soft," Crosshair scowled.

The sniper took a step towards her, which only caused her to stumble over her own feet as she put distance between them. He towered over her to intimidate her. She hated to admit that it was working.

"If anything happens to you, I wouldn't give a damn because that would mean we'd finally be rid of you. Leaving this place will be the best thing to happen for this squad," Crosshair spat down at her.

"Crosshair," Hunter's voice called from across the room.

Neither of them turned their heads to address him, but they knew he was looking directly at them.

"That's enough," Hunter scolded.

For a brief moment, Crosshair and Y/n had forgotten about Hunter's enhanced senses, particularly his hearing. Their entire exchange hadn't gone unheard. He heard every word of hatred that came from his brother and he resented him for it.

Because the senator didn't deserve to be treated that way and if his brother had a problem with how he was acting, then he should have confronted him instead.

"We should get going. I don't want the senator to miss the vote," Hunter announced.

The senator didn't care about the speech she had given a week prior, the vote that was about to happen, or even the results that she worked so hard for. Her mind had been completely captivated by her sergeant that she couldn't have.

Without wanting to cause any further arguments, the Bad Batch proceeded to follow the senator out of her office. They followed directly behind her and would escort her to the vote. However, Crosshair and Hunter lingered behind for a brief moment until the room was completely empty.

In that moment, Hunter sent his brother a glaring look of disapproval and complete anger. His hands had subconsciously clenched into tight fists at his sides. He looked away and started heading towards the door of the office, but right as he met the threshold, Crosshair finally broke the silence.

"You fucked her, didn't you?" Crosshair's tone didn't seem to waver.

Upon hearing those words, Hunter stopped short in his steps. His shoulders began to tense up and his hands remained clenched. It was getting harder to him to not blow up. He didn't say anything at first.

His silence was enough of an answer.

"That's why this has been so hard for you. You got attached," Crosshair pointed out.

Slowly, Crosshair went to approach his the doorway in which his brother stood. He let out a small scoff, quickly glancing him up and down.

"Didn't think you had it in you. Hope you left her feeling satisfied," Crosshair spoke with venom in his tone. He threw another toothpick into his mouth before wordlessly making his exit. The sergeant was left alone in the room, but the weight of his guilt was ever present.

The hired hitman felt a single bead of sweat sliding down the side of his face as he hid behind one of the pillars in the sniper's nest. He clutched a small device in his hands, hanging his thumb over a solid red button. He waited for the perfect moment.

Unbeknownst to the Bad Batch, there were three hidden bombs scattered around the landing platform that they just walked out on. One of the bombs was hidden right underneath the airspeeder and had been activated a couple minutes ago. Any electronic frequencies from the bomb would remain hidden since it was attached to a vehicle that also emitted frequencies. The other two bombs were yet to be activated.

The sniper was careful to peer around the pillar; his gaze fell on the small group walking across the platform and heading directly towards the airspeeder. He pressed the single red button which activated the countdown from one of the other bombs.

In that exact moment, Hunter froze in his place. He held up his hand to stop the rest of the group. His eyes seemed to narrow in slight confusion as his hearing focused on the little faint beeping sound coming from the opposite side of the platform. He looked over his shoulder, settling his sights on the entrance of the building they just came from. He felt the frequencies radiating heavily from one specific area.

"What is it, Hunter?" Echo inquired.

"There is a bomb nearby," Hunter whispered under his breath.

"A bomb?" Wrecker repeated just a little too loud. He quickly looked around as if he magically spot it. He raised his own blaster a little higher. "Where is it? I'll take it out."

"Not your brightest plan," Crosshair said while rolling his eyes.

"We must calculate our steps," Tech pointed out. "Any certain movement could trigger it."

"Wait for my signal," Hunter order. He began to make his way through the group, heading back towards the center of the platform.

"Hunter," Y/n called after him. "I don't like this."

"Don't worry," Hunter reassured her with a small smile. "If anything happens, Tech will stay to protect you."

"Alright," Y/n agreed. "Just be careful."

With some hesitation, Hunter started walking back towards the entrance of the building. He had retrieved his own blaster from his holster and now held it up. He peered through the scope in hopes of spotting something. He waved his hand to signal the other members to follow him.

Now Wrecker, Echo, and Crosshair began moving towards the center of the platform with their own weapons raised. They scouted the peaks in the tower, searching for any sign of the sniper. Back near the airspeeder, Tech made sure to stand relatively close to the senator in case anything happened. He held his blaster in front of him.

Kneeling down, Hunter spotted the small beeping device that was tucked behind one of the pillars. He felt a tight knot forming in his stomach at the mere sight of an active bomb in front of him. He quickly called for Wrecker to disarm it.

Slowly, Hunter forced himself to rise to his feet so that Wrecker was able to get into position. He spun around on the heels of his feet in order to face the senator. He gave a single wave of the hand as if to say they had the situation handled.

Suddenly, Hunter could feel his heart dropping so fast in the pit of his stomach as his eyes landed on the same beeping device hidden underneath the speeder. He broke into a run, urging them to get down. But it was much too late for that.

The device had detonated, which sparked an explosion of destructive fire that consumed everything. There was a loud and echoing boom that caused ears to start ringing in pain. The shockwave that came from the explosion only pushed the others back to the ground. The bright red, yellow, and orange flames only grew as more fuel was added from the airspeeder. Cracks had begun to form on the platform and black smoke surrounded them.

Just as the device had detonated, Hunter had lost sight of the two people standing in front of the speeder. Their bodies disappearing in the midst of flame and smoke. Before he knew it, Hunter was lying on the ground having been thrown back from the blast. He rolled onto his side.

The sergeant groaned in slight pain. He held his arm up to shield his visor from the blinding flames. He did manage to find his footing as he stood on two shaky feet. He quickly turned around to find his other brothers behind him which brought a wave of relief over him. But that also didn't last long because the other two bombs detonated a second later.

The Bad Batch was knocked down from the force of the blast and debris falling around them. The pillars from the building caved from the destructive explosion, crumbling down and striking the platform with such force that it made deeper cracks. More clouds of black smoke swept around their bodies and the ash began fluttering through the air. The world disappeared underneath the veil of darkness, claiming the conscious mind of the sergeant.

The dust had failed to settle anytime soon. With the fire still burning steadily, a thick aroma of black smoke consumed the area. The platform could be heard groaning in pain because the supports holding it up had been compromised. It was only a matter of time before parts of the platform began to give way.

On the sidelines, Tech had to take a moment to gather himself. He had only just come to a second ago. Squeezing his eyes shut tightly, Tech tried to ignore the painful ache that consumed his entire body. His armor had done its job of protecting him from the explosion, but it had still grown hot to the touch from the flames.

Rolling onto his back, Tech's eyes drifted to the bright blue sky above him. He pushed himself into a sitting position, finally turning to address some of his surroundings. There was a small explosion on his left, which caused him to wince roughly and cower behind his arm.

"D-Does anyone copy?" Tech spoke into his communication system, silently praying that someone would hear his message. "I-I r-repeat: does anyone copy?"

The line remained silent much to his dismay.

Forcing himself to stand, Tech tried to use his helmet to scan the area in search for any remaining lifeforms. His visor illuminated the form of a red body underneath some heavy debris not too far away from him. He quickly made his way over to the body, mindfully avoiding the cracks below him.

Upon closer inspection, Tech had recognized the figure belonging to that of the senator. He knelt down beside her unconscious form, desperately searching for a way to lift the heavy debris off her body. Though Tech didn't ignore the fact that the side of her head was dripping with blood, having sustained a traumatic head injury. Right now, Tech just needed to get her out of there.

"If anyone can hear me, the senator is down. I repeat: the senator is down." Tech announced through the communication line though it came through super spotty to the others. As the other squad members came to their senses, the words 'senator' and 'down' were coming through their helmets.

Despite his efforts, Tech was unable to lift the cement debris by himself. He tried a couple times; He pulled and pushed with all of his might to move the huge chuck of pillar, but he wasn't the muscle of the group.

All of the sudden, Tech was able to hear a familiar groaning coming from the cloud of smoke beside him. The familiar figure of the biggest group member appeared to pierce through the smoke. He slowly trudged towards his brother while holding his arm and limping slightly.

"Wrecker!" Tech exclaimed. "I've never been more happy to see you."

"Yeah," Wrecker groaned in slight pain as he approached his brother. "Good to see you too, Tech."

The platform shook slightly under the added weight to that specific area. In response, Tech's eyes fell onto a large crack developing on the ground near them. He realized that the platform was beginning to fall away. He looked up at his brother with wide eyes.

"Watch your step," Tech ordered strategically. "This place could give away at any second."

With a firm nod, Wrecker made sure to watch his steps carefully and maneuvered his way over to them both. He quickly found a sturdy place to stand. He bent his knees and took hold of the debris.

"I'll lift. You pull her out," Wrecker explained. He counted down from three before lifting the heavy piece of cement upwards a couple inches. It was just enough space for his brother to pull the senator out.

Once the senator was secure, Wrecker slowly lowered the pillar back down onto the platform while being careful not to destroy the ground. He knelt down beside them just as Tech began scanning the senator with his data pad.

"How bad is she?" Wrecker inquired with a sad look in his eyes.

"Bad," Tech said blatantly. He typed something into his data pad. "She is suffering from severe internal bleeding and will likely succumb to her injuries if she does not receive immediate medical attention soon."

"We need to get to the Marauder," Wrecker realized.

In another part of the platform, Echo felt like he was reliving what he gone through years ago. The familiar aches and pains were almost too much for his body since he had been close to the explosion. He struggled to compose himself, standing to his feet slowly and shakily. He let out a low groan.

In a brief moment of panic, Echo turned his head to the left and to the right in a desperate attempt of locating the others. He called their names a few times, but failed to receive a response from them. He brought his hand up the the ventilator of his helmet, coughing slightly as he ingested smoke that failed to filter.

"I-If anyone..." Tech's voice cracked through the comms. Echo quickly pressed his finger against the side of his helmet to hear the message more clearly. "Sen-n--nator--d-do-own. M-M-Mauad--now," Tech called.

The only thing going through Echo's mind was how he needed to get to the Marauder. He quickly broke off into a sprint back towards the building with every intention of retrieving the ship from one of the other platforms. He shielded himself from the burning flames and rising smoke, risking it all for the mission.

"I'm o-on...my...way," Echo's voice spoke through the weak communication line.

Upon hearing the broken message, Tech and Wrecker breathed a small sigh of relief. They could rest easy for a moment knowing that help was on it's way and that another one of their brothers was alive. They glanced at each other before redirecting their attention back to helping the senator.

"Senator?" Tech spoke softly while gazing down at her. "Can you hear me? We need you to wake up."

But she hadn't moved.

All the while, Wrecker watched his brother's hands work quickly and skillfully. He had a handful of gauzes and serums from his pack. Pulling out his data pad again, Tech pressed a button which imitated a blue scan over her entire body. He didn't like the look of what showed up on the screen.

"Brain activity is dangerously low," Tech commented more to himself than anyone.

"W-What does that mean?" Wrecker worried.

"She's dying, Wrecker." Tech replied.

Without hesitation, Tech removed his helmet and tossed it to the side. He proceeded to take off his gloves next. His gaze shuffled down to the large gaping wound on the side of the senator's abdomen. The blood was seeping out of her body at a rapid pace. And Tech didn't know if he could slow it down.

"Wrecker," Tech called. He pointed to the leaking wound on her side. "I need you to apply pressure right here. Don't let up. It will slow the bleeding."

Carefully, Wrecker's large hands hovered over the spot. It took him a second before he finally gave into the internal conflict. He pressed his hands into the fresh wound in hopes of stopping the blood from flowing so quickly. He tried to ignore the way the blood seeped over his fingers. And he had to look away in fear of losing his stomach to the sight of gore.

In the midst of chaos, Hunter was slow to come back to his senses. His body was screaming in pain from the mere force of the blast. He shifted his hands underneath himself, pushing his upper body upwards slightly. His muscles shook as he did so; a small groan escaping past his filtered helmet.

With some difficulty, Hunter was able to get to his feet. He desperately searched for the others, but he couldn't see anything beyond the smoke and debris surrounding him. His senses failed him as well because he couldn't seem to pick up their all-too familiar smell. He called for them over the comms, but it seemed like his helmet was busted.

All of the sudden, a blaster shot came out of nowhere and lodged itself in the back of his right shoulder. The proximity of the shot caused him to stumble forward onto his knees. He grabbed his shoulder in pain, hissing at the sharp pain. He just barely managed to glance over his shoulder to spot the assailant walking through the black clouds of smoke with a blaster raised in his hand.

"I must admit: it hasn't been easy trying to take my target down. You're one hell of a soldier," the mysterious assassin spoke with a deep cynical voice behind his mask. He took a couple more steps forward until he was standing right above the clone.

"What do you want...a medal?" Hunter groaned in slight agony. He gripped his shoulder a little tighter in hopes that it would relieve some of the pain.

"Oh, I don't care about you." He knelt down in front of him, pointing the blaster directly at his face. "I only care about killing the senator and getting paid. I'm looking forward to cashing those credits in."

The assailant was taunting him. The anger and rage began to boil within the sergeant's veins, threatening to break loose at any moment. He held a stoic face, but was biting his tongue until he tasted his own blood. He wanted nothing more than to punch that stupid helmet off the guy's face.

All of the sudden, another random blaster bolt had whizzed through the air. The blaster shot smacked into the center of the assassins chest, sending him flying backwards until he was laying flat against the platform. The sergeant scrambled into a sitting position, shifting to glance over his shoulder. His eyes landed on the familiar sharpshoot pointing his rifle at the body.

For a brief moment, Hunter had never been more relieved to see his brother despite the risk he had taken in shooting the assassin down. He tried to rise to his feet while still holding onto his shoulder. However, Crosshair had joined his side and grabbed his arm. He helped him rise to his feet, double checking to make sure his oldest brother was alright.

"T-Thanks," Hunter said. He looked at his youngest brother with a small hint of pride in his eyes.

"Don't mention it," Crosshair scolded him with a serious look behind his eyes. "I mean it."

Together, Hunter and Crosshair made their way over to the suffering body of the assailant that was still laying on the ground. As they drew closer, Hunter was the first to step forward and kneel down in front of him. He pressed the bottom on the side of mysterious man's helmet, activating the trigger to retract the facemark.

What they both saw was shocking. It was a clone.

However, he wasn't wearing the typical clone armor; this style was coated in black and the mask had dark green eyes. They weren't even sure what generation of clone he would have been. His tactics were far from a regular clone. But he wore the face that millions of clones shared. This was something else, something new.

"This...complicates things," Hunter noted. He furrowed his eyebrows in slight confusion. They stood tall above him. "You're just a reg. Why are you trying to kill the senator?"

The clone assassin only let out a crazed laugh, which caused a few steams of blood to escape the corners of his mouth. His body was starting to succumb to his injuries, growing weaker with each passing moment. He looked up at the two enhanced clones, shaking his head slightly.

"L-Like I said, I was just doing a job to get paid."

"Who hired you?" Hunter demanded an answer.

"I'll never tell you," the assassin hissed. "You'll have to shoot me de--"

But the man was never able to finish that sentence because the sharpshooter had shot him once more to silence him forever. He silently strapped his rifle onto his back, turning to walk away and ignoring the look his brother was sending him.

At the given moment, Hunter was overwhelmed with a million different emotions. He wore a shocked expression on his face, not believing what his brother just pulled off. Not only that, but he was also incredibly taken back by the fact that he shot a clone without hesitation. He watched his figure retreat, but he called after him.

"What the hell were you thinking? Shooting a brother like that," Hunter gestured to the motionless body behind him.

"He's not a brother," Crosshair shrugged his shoulders. "He's just another reg. They're disposable."

"We didn't know anything about this clone. What his motives were, where he came from, or why he was trying to kill the senator," Hunter listed off. "He deserved to stand a fair trial," Hunter argued.

Upon hearing this, Crosshair stopped in the middle of his tracks. He threw a brief glance over his shoulder with a taunting smirk gracing his lips. He huffed.

"Starting to sound like your little girlfriend," Crosshair mocked.

"That's enough, Crosshair. You shouldn't have done what you did. You crossed a line," Hunter said through gritted teeth. His hands began to clench at his sides.

"You know...you should be thanking me," Crosshair replied. He was now turned to face his brother head on. "The threat is gone. Your girlfriend is safe. And we can finally leave this place. We completed the mission."

"You killed a clone," Hunter ignored him.

"I completed the mission," Crosshair corrected. The two brothers stared at each other with dangerously narrowed eyes, waiting for the other one to break first. But a familiar voice pulled them out of their internal war.

"H-Hunter...H--Hunter," Echo's voice broke through the communication system. "Come in. D-Do you read me?"

"I hear you, Echo." Hunter spoke while pressing the side of his helmet.

"I-I'm bringing the Marauder around now," Echo explained. The line was starting to get a little clearer and crispy as he spoke. "Tech says we need to get the senator out of here as soon as possible. She doesn't have a lot of time."

"Copy that," Hunter nodded. "We are on our way."

The ship was able to round the side of the building. The wind blasting from the engines was enough to push the clouds of black smoke away from the platform momentarily, providing a clear direction for where the others were on the opposite side. The ship was descending until it hovered right by the edge of the platform.

With great precision, Crosshair and Hunter began to make their way towards the group of others. They avoided the cracks in the ground, coming up beside their fellow brothers. The sergeant took a moment to stare down at the senator's motionless body, surveying her injuries carefully.

Though Tech was still working on bandaging up some of her wounds, Wrecker was still keeping his hands pressed against the gaping hole on her side. He made sure to avoid his sergeant's gaze, feeling a bit helpless in their failed attempt to protect her from harm. The sharpshooter was the only one brave enough to look directly at the sergeant with an all-knowing look in his eyes.

It was like Crosshair was saying it all over again to Hunter. Don't get too attached. Because this is what he'll get.

CHAPTER EIGHT HERE

Taglist:

@justhavingsomefun1 @totally-not-your-babe @jedipoodoo @gyllord @roam-rs @totallyunidentified @redheadgirl @mrcaptainrex @whore-of-many-hot-men @graciexmarvel @qweenrogerina @arcsimper5 @queenofspades6 @cadihyo @jediknightjana @elthoughtzos @lokigirlszendaya @sleepycreativewriter @moonwrecked @ravenclawbitch426 @waytoooldforthis78 @left-in-the-motel-bar @fic-force-99 @ayyyy-le-simp

THE SERIES IS ALMOST OVER! HOPE YOU'VE ENJOYED IT SO FAR.

Casual reminder that Hunter is LITERALLY the person who brings a knife to a gun blaster fight.

What makes this even funnier? In this scene, Anakin says "Hunter, hold them off," and Hunter's response is to drop the blaster he's holding in exchange for his knife.

They really fed the Hunter girlies today

Play Pretend | Eddie Munson

Summary: To escape the likes of Jason Carver, the reader has to play a little game of pretend with Eddie Munson himself.

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader

Warning: sexual tension, swearing, some kissing, fake relationship

Type: Oneshot

Word Count: 4,647 words

It had been one hell of a day and it was only lunchtime. During first period, Jason Carver had gone to extreme lengths to pass a note across the room to Y/n L/n. It read something along the lines of ‘meet me by the lockers after class.”

In response to reading the note, Y/n turned her head to look over her shoulder. She immediately spotted were the basketball jock was seated near the back of the class. He sent her a sly smile and a wink.

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The Sergeant's Senator | Chapter 5

Summary: It is finally time for the senator to give her speech to the senator. And Echo tells Hunter about what he had seen. Now Hunter needs to confront the senator and figure out why they haven't been transferred yet.

Warning: assassination attempt, various weapons used, sniper/shooter mentioned, characters getting shot at, mutual pining, mild argument, kissing (finally), +18 very suggestive content at the end

Pairing: Hunter x Fem!Reader Senator

Type: Short Series

Word Count: 6.0k

Series Masterlist

Now, two days later, the hired hitman had received his orders from his employer. The blaster wound in his shoulder was healed, but there was a nasty scar that remained in its place. He packed his weapon away in a case, taking it with him as he left the abandoned building he'd been stationed in.

Checking the coordinates, he began to make his way there without drawing too much attention. He took back alleys, hidden passages, and stayed out of the eyes of others. The Count's words rang in his mind from earlier: "The speech takes place in the Senate Building at 2:00pm. Do not let her get there."

Just like the Count had ordered, the skilled shooter made sure to keep a low profile and learn more about them. He remained hidden in the crowds, watching their every move without them knowing. After a week, he figured out the exact route they'd take to get from her apartment to the senate building. And relaying this information to his employer meant that they worked together to find the perfect place to take the shot.

Arriving at the building, the assassin began climbing the long staircase until he reached one of the top floors. He walked towards one of the windows, peeking through the glass to watch the busy airspeeders driving below and diagonally from him. Satisfied with his position, he chose to assemble his rifle and wait for the moment to strike.

Back at the apartment, Hunter stood impatiently outside the senator's bedroom door. His arms were crossed over his chest and his foot tapped the floor in a steady beat. He glanced back at his brothers who had never looked more bored in their lives.

"Tech," Hunter's sultry and low voice sounded. "Give me the time."

He didn't look up from his data pad. "It is approximately 1:46pm. And it has only been two minutes since the last time you asked me."

"Ugh," Wrecker groaned. He proceeded to throw his hands up in exaggeration. "What's taking her so long?"

"She trying to look nice for her sergeant," Crosshair sneered. He threw a glare to his older brother, already knowing that his comment would strike a cord with him.

Hunter, always being the more level headed of the two, ignored his comment. He redirected his attention to the solid wood door in front of him. But he clenched his fists at his sides.

"She's gonna miss her time slot if she waits any longer," Echo noted while peering over Tech's shoulder to look at the time.

Finally, Hunter raised his fist to the door and knocked harshly against it. He called her name through the door in hopes of urging her to finish getting ready quicker. This was probably the thirtieth time he'd knocked.

"I'm not ready yet!" Her voice was muffled through the door, which meant she was probably on the other side of the room. She fixed her hair in the mirror and smoothed her hands over her dress.

"Well, you need to be ready now. We should have left ten minutes ago," Hunter called back. He stared down at the door handle.

"Fifteen," Tech corrected with a raised finger. "If you calculate the traffic."

"These things take time," Y/n answered. She moved a few strands of hair to her liking. She looked herself over one last time. "I don't like to be rushed."

"If you need help to...speed up the process, I am offering my assistance," Hunter was trying everything to get her out of the room. He only received a long pause of silence. He went to knock again, but the door swung open before contact.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" She teased him.

The others were at a complete loss of words for what stood before them. They shamelessly took in her appearance by allowing their eyes to travel down her body. She really was something else.

The senator was wearing a floor-length dark blue dress that matched the color of the midnight sky. Her hair was styled into curls, flowing over her shoulders. There were small silver stars and crescent moons pinning her baby hairs back.

The sergeant was the first to realize how long he'd been staring. He tried to form words, but they fell short in the process. Standing right in front of him was by far the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid eyes on. No, he thought to himself. She was beyond beautiful; she was simply magnificent.

"You...look...," Hunter began. The lavender perfume flooded his senses, which made his brain fuzzy. His gaze continued to linger, drinking it all in greedily. "Heavenly," Hunter breathed softly.

That word was not what she was expecting in the slightest. It didn't make her any less flattered though. The corners of her lips lifting into a soft smile with a pink tint coloring her cheeks. She tried to avert her gaze because she just couldn't bare looking at him any longer without blushing profusely.

"Thank you," Y/n replied sheepishly.

When he first saw her, Hunter felt all of his thoughts fly out of his head. He didn't know why they were so persistent to leave; finding it all irrelevant now. He chose to live in the moment which consisted of her and her alone.

Slowly, Hunter used his hand to gesture to the door behind them as if inviting her to go ahead of him. As she brushed past him, Hunter shifted his hand to hover by her lower back. They began to walk towards the door; the others moved to lead them out. With his brothers walking ahead of them, Hunter found himself placing his hand on the small of her back in a gentle manner.

The Bad Batch clambered into the small airspeeder on the edge of the landing platform. There was a driver at the wheel who had been waiting for their arrival. He was instructed to bring them to the Senate Building. And there was a small emphasis on their need to get their quickly.

Starting the airspeeder, the driver began to navigate through the busy lanes in the city. A few other airspeeders passed by them, flying through the air at such a rapid pace. Their airspeeder turned down another path, steadily making their way to their final destination.

In the nearby building, the hitman had kept his scope locked on the passing speeders. He knew that they'd be coming at any second; he only had one shot at this. With one eye closed, he peered through the narrow scope and moved his sniper steadily to search the speeders moving by.

Finally, the skilled shooter's eyes landed on a familiar-looking grey airspeeder heading in the opposite direction of him. He recognized the dark grey clone armor in a second. He quickly adjusted his weapon to take the shot.

"He's gonna try something tomorrow," Hunter told his brothers the day before. They had gathered in the senator's office to discuss tactics for the day of the speech. "He's been waiting for the right moment."

"But how are we going to stop him? He could be anywhere," Echo claimed. He tried thinking of all the places it could go down.

"He wouldn't do anything in the Senate," Tech explained. He ruled that much out. "Too many witnesses and too much security already.

"He could take his shot as we leave the building," Crosshair observed. If he was in the shooter's shoes, that's where he would strike.

"Or he could take his shot as we were moving," Hunter suggested this option. His arms were crossed, but he still shrugged his shoulders.

"That's a pretty tricky shot," Wrecker noted. "Moving objects ain't easy."

"Might not be easy, but it's not impossible." Crosshair corrected. They seemed to think about their options for a brief moment, attempting to reach some kind of game plan.

"So what are we going to do?" Echo questioned. He looked towards his sergeant for the answer.

"I think I have an idea."

While riding in the airspeeder, the other squad members attempted to glance at the sergeant through the corner of their eyes. The mission was put into his hands. They relieved heavily on his senses, because with a few tweaks, Tech had managed to adjust Hunter's helmet filter.

It was originally designed to numb his senses so he wouldn't be so overwhelmed. However, it was now changed to only pick up the smallest sounds. He wasn't able to hear the others talking or even the other airspeeders zooming past them. He focused heavily in order to hear the sound of subtle movement.

Then Hunter heard it: The sound of a rifle being cocked.

"Now!" Hunter signaled them.

The shooter's finger rested against the curve of the trigger, lining up his shot so he wouldn't miss. He squeezed the trigger to fire his shot, watching the red blast come shooting out of the rifle.

Just in time, Hunter had managed to push the senator into a crouching position on the floor of the speeder. He moved his head slightly to the right, barely missing the blaster shot that was aimed at her. Yanking his blaster out of his holster, he didn't hesitate to raise it and fire a few shots in the general direction.

The Bad Batch had been fully prepared for the attack. They quickly turned around in their place as well and fired their own shots rapidly. The shooter ducked down behind the window ledge just as a few shots whizzed past the window. He covered his head and cursed under his breath.

Meanwhile, Crosshair was using his long rifle to fire another round. His shots had gotten the closest. While Wrecker was most certainly firing the fastest, Tech was trying to take more calculated shots. Then Hunter and Echo were firing almost simultaneously, naturally in sync with one another. But none of their shots hit a target.

Having seen the shooter disappear from the perch, Hunter raised his fist to signal the others to seize fire. The shooting stopped instantly. He waited patiently with the expectation that the shooter would try again, but he never reappeared in the window. The airspeeder continued on the designated route, heading in the direction of the senate.

"Are you alright, senator?" Echo asked. He couched down beside her, offering his hand for her to take. He eased her back into the seat.

"I'm fine," Y/n reassured him. She glanced up at the sergeant before giving him a firm nod of the head. "Thanks again."

Though Hunter's filtration was still activated, he knew exactly what she said regardless of the fact he couldn't hear her. He sent her a nod back. He redirected his attention back towards the empty window, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at it.

"Was your mission successful?" Count Dooku questioned over the communication link that the assassin held in his hands. There was a long beat of stillness.

"She...she was highly protected. I-I couldn't get a clean shot," the man explained. His continuous failed attempts only caused the Sith Lord more frustration. And this was evident in his silence alone. "Give me one more chance," he begged.

"I grow tired of your excuses," Count Dooku interrupted. His voice grew deeper and darker. "I am coming to Coruscant. Do not let her make it to the vote. If you fail to finish the job, then I will end you."

"I understand, Count."

The small escort tried to navigate through the senate building as fast as they could with what little time remained until their window. They had rounded the corner of another corridor, spotting the entrance to the repulsorpod in the senate room. The senator's assistant was standing by the door.

"You're late," the droid announced.

The senator approached the entrance, ignoring the comment with a roll of the eyes. She stepped into the repulsorpod and activated it so it began hovering over to it's designated place amongst other senate members.

The Bad Batch watched the repulsorpod from a distance. The announcement of the senator's arrival sounded from the chancellor who was situated in the middle of the room. With that, Senator Rayna gathered herself and started her speech that she worked so hard on.

Despite being a little out-of-touch with politics, Hunter wanted nothing more than to listen to the senator's speech. He saw that politics was her drive; the thing that got her excited when brought into a conversation. Her speaking came with such passion which indicated how deeply her heart felt for it.

His eyes shimmered behind the visor of his helmet, scanning the way her hands moved as she spoke with emphasis. He admired the softness of her voice, feeling himself falling into a transfixed trance. He didn't necessarily understand what she was saying, but he truly didn't care.

"Uh Hunter?" Echo cleared his throat to get the sergeant's attention.

"What is it, Echo?" Hunter let out a loud sigh since he was taken out of his trance.

"I need to talk to you about something," Echo claimed. Naturally, Hunter turned to face him only to present him with a skeptical look. "It's about the senator," Echo reassured him.

Quickly glancing back at the senator, Hunter contemplated walking away to address his trooper's concern or option the stay in order to listen to the rest of her speech. Although, granted, whatever he did have to say about the senator could be a threat. So Hunter hesitantly walked away from the entrance with Echo trailing behind him.

"What's wrong?" Hunter asked. He crossed his arms over his chest.

"I wanted to make you aware of something. Something that I saw the other night when I was on patrol," Echo began. He thought about his next words carefully. "Something I shouldn't have seen," Echo said truthfully.

The sergeant's hands dropped back down to his sides upon sensing the uncertainty radiating from his brother. He saw the conflict behind his eyes and how he couldn't even look him in the eyes. He could only imagine what he was about to say, but he thought of every possible situation.

"Go on," Hunter encouraged.

"Some paperwork was delivered late at night," Echo started the story.

It was in that moment that Hunter realized the situation might not be as severely troubling as he had initially thought. His shoulders slumped down and he released the breath he didn't know he had been holding back.

"I just got a brief glance at the paper on the top of the stack, but it was from the guard."

"What did it say?" Hunter inquired.

"It was a request form--an application," Echo corrected. "It seems The Coruscant Guard sent the form to let her know that there are now available troopers. Should she apply and request them."

"Which means..." Hunter now made the connection.

"We might be receiving new orders any day now," Echo finished for him.

"Our transfer out of Coruscant," Hunter sighed reluctantly. The sadness that came through his voice did not go unnoticed. His gaze lowered to the ground.

For some reason, Hunter's mind drifted away to the words of warning that his youngest brother gave him many weeks ago. Don't get too attached. He clenched his fists at his sides, knowing in the back of his mind that he should have heeded that warning. But at the time, Hunter didn't want to listen to him.

"What should we do?" Echo wondered, which pulled Hunter out of his own thoughts.

"Nothing we can do," Hunter shrugged though it pained him to admit. "Except wait for our transfer papers to come in."

"Should we tell her?"

"Let's keep it between us for now," Hunter ordered calmly. Echo nodded his head understandingly. He glanced back at the senator who was still deep in her speech. "She'll tell us in her own time."

The only problem was that the senator never brought it up. This made Hunter and Echo extremely confused since they figured she would have probably broken the news to them all at some point. She least she could do was give them a heads up that they'd be transferred out sooner than later. Even if Hunter and Echo already knew about the application form that she was given.

It wasn't until six days following her big speech when Hunter decided to come out and confront her. The whole crew had just made their way into the senate building and where heading upstairs.

The day of the vote was scheduled to happen tomorrow. The Senator of Courscant was already feeling quite anxious given the amount of time and effort she put into her speech. Besides making her speech, Senator Rayna had also met with many other senators in hopes of convincing them to support her cause. She only had to wait one more day.

Just as the senator was about to head into the senate room, Hunter managed to get her attention by grabbing her forearm. He stopped her from going in. She whipped her head around to face him with a slight hint of shock in her expression.

"We need to talk," Hunter spoke through the ventilator of his helmet. He kept his voice low so the others couldn't hear him.

"Can't this wait?" Y/n wondered.

"When were you planning to tell us about the transfer?" Hunter ignored her comment, having grown impatient with her inability to bring the subject up to them.

The senator furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "What transfer?"

"Y-You..." Hunter's voice seemed to fade. He studied her features only to find confusion written all over them. His grip on her arm faltered slightly. "You mean you didn't fill out the form?"

The senator felt her heart drop in her chest. She now put the pieces together, coming to the conclusion that he must have found out about the form that was given to her from the capital's guard. The pang of guilt forming deeper and more painful.

"Listen Hunter," the senator tried to come up with some kind of excuse. She avoided his gaze. "Can we talk about this later?"

Now, the senator knew that the needed to be in the right mindset to explain herself to him. Not only that, but she'd also need the time to talk with him, which was something she wasn't able to spare him. Finally, Y/n was able to lift her gaze to meet his.

"Please," Y/n whispered softly with pleading eyes.

And Hunter couldn't say no. His fingers relaxed against her forearm, slipping down the length of her arm. This action only brought a shiver to run down her spine. Her eyelashes fluttered up at him. His hand took hold of her gently, giving it a gentle squeeze as if to communicate understanding.

With great hesitation, Senator Rayna began walking towards the entrance of the senate room. The other senators were waiting for her and preparing for the start of the session. She glanced over her shoulder to steal a glance at her sergeant one last time.

Upon returning to the senator's place of living, Hunter opened the door for her to enter. She walked into the room without sparing him a glance. Just as the other members went to walk in, Hunter stopped them by raising his hand. Each of them looked at their sergeant with a hint of confusions behind their features.

"I need to speak with the senator privately," Hunter told them. He quickly glanced at Echo who was the only one that knew about the conversation that was about to take place. "Give us a couple minutes," Hunter asked.

"Fine," Wrecker threw his hands up in defeat. "Just don't take too long."

"I'll...try to keep it short," Hunter promised.

With some hesitation, the Bad Batch began to make their way further down the hallway. They figured that they'd be able to find something to occupy themselves for a couple minutes. They sent a glance towards the sergeant as they passed by before he closed the door in front of them.

Finally, Hunter stood still for the first time that day. His hand lingered on the handle of the door, wondering if it would be best just to leave with the rest of them. He could feel her gaze bearing into the back of his head. He gathered the needed courage to turn and address her.

"Care to explain yourself?" Hunter started. He folded his arms across his chest to keep a strict demeanor.

"Before that," Y/n interjected. "I want to know how you found out. Did you go through my things?"

"What? No," Hunter denied. "Echo told me."

Closing her eyes, Senator Rayna only cursed under her breath. She hadn't thought about that beforehand. The form was the first piece of paper on the stack. Echo didn't do anything wrong. He was simply the deliverer. She refused to be mad at him for looking at something innocently.

"Right," Y/n said understandingly. "That adds up."

"Let me get some things straight: The Coruscant Guard sends you an application form to your apartment last week," Hunter listed off.

"That's right," Y/n spoke truthfully.

"This application form is the first step in granting you a new escort," Hunter added.

"Mhmm," Y/n gave a nod.

"Which ultimately means that my squad would be transferred out of your command," Hunter came to this conclusion clearly.

"...yes," Y/n breathed quietly.

There was a beat of silence between them. Despite the fact that the senator had cleared things up for the sergeant, he was still left in a state of utter confusion. He looked at her with a blank stare on his face.

"So why the hell haven't you taken the time to even fill it out?" Hunter fought back with a hint of venom in his tone. This sudden outburst only caused the senator to furrow her eyebrows at him.

"You don't think I've been a bit preoccupied with other things?" Y/n threw back at him.

"Oh please. Don't lie to me," Hunter scoffed at this excuse. His arms fell back down to his sides. "You've had all week to fill it out."

"Fine," Y/n waved her hands in dismissal. "You're right. That's not the reason why I didn't fill it out."

"What's the reason then?" Hunter demanded.

The senator tried to gather her thoughts and feelings. She avoided his gaze, but still felt the pressure to answer his question. Struggling to find an excuse, Y/n wasn't able to find the right words.

"I...I-I didn't want to," Y/n confessed quietly. Her eyes drifted up to meet his gaze, filled to the brim with tears that threatened to escape. "Not if it meant you'd be transferred."

"I don't understand," Hunter took a step forward. "What do you want?"

This decision didn't benefit anyone. It kept a batch of good soldiers away from the front lines, which was the best place for them to be. It also kept the senator from receiving the needed help from guards who were purposefully stationed on her planet and who were assigned to protect her.

And Hunter saw this. He still didn't understand her reasoning behind her actions, why she hadn't filled out the form to request a new escort and begin the process of getting them transferred back to the war front.

"What do you want?" Hunter repeated a little more louder this time. He took another step towards her.

"I-I want you," Y/n's voice quivered. She felt a tear roll down the side of her cheek as she spoke with the utmost sense of honesty.

In that exact moment, Hunter's strong nature seemed to dissolve upon hearing those words. His shoulders deflated slightly at his sides and his face fell into a blank stare. It felt like his brain had malfunctioned because he wasn't able to form a complete thought with that information.

"I want you," Y/n spoke once again. "Just you."

Her name came tumbling off his lips. He lowered his gaze to stare down at the floor, feeling the strong sense of conflict in the depths of his heart. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly, trying desperately to fight the urge to cave in.

Seeing her current state only broke his heart even further. The tears were now cascading down the sides of her face evenly. Her bottom lip was quivering unsteadily. The tip of her nose had grown red from her crying. Her hands shook since her nerves had taken over.

"You...you can't have me," Hunter told her steadily. "You know that."

"I-I know," Y/n nodded her head understandingly. She tore her gaze away from him. "You were the person who told me that it's good to have dreams."

He was her dream just as much as she was his own dream.

"I'm a soldier, Y/n. Meant to serve in the army," Hunter corrected her. He couldn't be her dream. "I wasn't made for...whatever you want this to be between us."

"I don't want much," Y/n tried to reassure him with a small shake of her head. She took the last step forward until they were standing with their chests pressed together. "I know that a relationship is almost impossible for a sergeant and a senator."

"Then...what do you want?" Hunter breathed out for the last time. His eyes mindlessly drifted down to her lips, lingering there for a brief moment. "If we can't have a relationship, what can I offer you?"

Slowly, the senator raised her hand to rest against the plate of his armor. Her hand began drifting upwards until it reached his shoulder. She moved it to the side of his cheek, cupping it softly in her grasp.

"Just you. For this one moment," Y/n pleaded with him.

It all seemed to make sense now. The reason why she didn't fill out the form immediately was because she wanted them to stay a little longer. Though it was selfish of her (and she admitted that) and it would keep them from the war, the senator confessed that she never felt more safe than when she was in the presence of his squad.

Their lips seemed to chase one another's movements. Even though their lips never fully connected, they grazed against one another a few times. The temptation to fall into each other was growing with each second.

The sergeant's hands found a place to perch on the sides of her hips. He held her steadily in her grasp, swaying every so slightly with her. Her hands slid away from his face, falling flat on his chest plate. She gazed up at him with anticipating eyes. He leaned his head forward until their foreheads rested against one another's.

They both felt the internal conflict. They already failed miserably in regards to not falling in love with one another. The risk of exposure would also be detrimental to both of their occupations. Should they chose to act on their emotions, who could tell what would happen?

Finally, Hunter's hand drifted up to cup the place between her neck and jaw. He held her face steadily in his grasp. Once again, Hunter felt his heart screaming 'yes' and his mind was pleading 'no.'

Eventually, Hunter caved into his own selfish desires. He tipped his head to the side and leaned forward in his place, permitting his lips to press against her own. He felt the way she leaned into his touch and he heard how fast her heart was beating.

Their lips moved against one another's in a gentle melody. His arms wrapped around her backside, bringing her as close to his body as humanly possible. His hand snaked up her back to cradle the back of her head. He had never imagined how soft her lips were.

With a shuddering breath, Y/n's lips parted slightly which allowed him to swipe his tongue against her bottom lip. Their mouths chased one another's so desperately, exploring every possible inch like it would be their last time.

Finally, Hunter and Y/n were able to pull away from one another to regain their lost breath. They gazed at one another with half-lidded eyes. The two of them basked in the comfortable silence, feeling the sudden sense of relief for finally getting past that hurdle of hiding emotions.

Before they knew what was happening, they had been able to find one another's lips once again. They kept sealed in a tight kiss since they wanted to savor this time together as much as possible.

His insistent mouth was parting her shaking lips, sending wild tremors down her spine, evoking from her sensations she had never known she was capable of feeling. He swallowed her soft moans, thinking they tasted so sweet on his tongue.

It was the kind of kiss that stole one's breath away and caused your heart to skip a couple beats. This was one of those kisses that were so filled with built up emotion that they didn't seem to care about anything else. And it was a kiss that could easily become desperate and escalate quickly if they weren't careful.

And that's exactly what happened. It became desperate.

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THE NEXT CHAPTER IS GONNA BE JUST PURE SPICE AND SMUT! THERE WILL BE A WARNING AT THE BEGINNING

Protect Jack at all costs❤️🥹

i love him 🌻💗