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“I’m ready!”, Wrecker called out enthusiastically, the big clone throwing a big bag over his shoulder, “I’ve got all my hunting gear with me!”
“I hope you don’t forgot the salt.”, Crosshair drawled out, “That is important.”
“Salt, flashlight, night vision camera and EMF detector.”, the pyro expert boomed proudly, “Even got a voice recorder from Tech.”
“Good, then we only have to wait for the nerd, before we can go.”
Echo watched in slight confusion the conversation between Crosshair and Wrecker, puzzled about what they were talking.
It’s been two months since Echo had joined the Bad Batch and he was still adjusting to his new life with the enhanced clones, which was quite challenging, as they had all certain mannerisms and quirks, which Echo needed to get used to.
Wrecker for example had a heart of gold and was the most emphatic member of the squad, but he could also be loud, impulsive and hyperactive.
Hunter had a leader mentality and was fiercely protective of his brothers, but he was terrible at self care and even worse at communicating his feelings.
Tech was brilliant and honest, but he was having trouble understanding the emotions of others, sometimes hurting others with his words, even though he didn’t meant too.
And Crosshair would kill and die for the ones he cared about, but he was dismissive towards others, even outright insulting everyone else.
All in all Echo had been slowly able to understand more about his new squad and he had started to care about them quite a lot.
But what Echo absolutely didn’t understand, was the scene in front of him.
The ARC watched worriedly Wrecker and Crosshair, the two of them suspiciously well behaving, as Crosshair was cleaning his rifle and Wrecker was fidgeting with what looked like a headlamp. They sat there in what almost seemed like a peaceful scenery, waiting for Tech, as Crosshair had stated earlier.
Tech was right now not even aboard the Marauder, as he and Hunter were doing a supply run. Usually times without Hunter tended to end in chaos, as on one memorable notice Wrecker and Crosshair had been out shopping, which resulted in the sniper insulting the merchant, which ended in a mass brawl. Ever since Wrecker and Crosshair that incident were not allowed to do a supply run without Tech or Echo or Hunter.
But today the two were so utterly calm, so utterly civilized it made Echo suspicious, because there had be a reason for this unusual behavior.
But the older clone had no time to dwell on that thought, as the doors to the Marauder opened and Hunter and Tech entered.
“You’re back early, Sarge!”, Wrecker shouted his greeting.
“Of course we are here early.”, Tech answered, “I made our supply run about 30 percent more efficient by avoiding detours and sticking to the shopping list.”
Wrecker made an impressed sound, clapping enthusiastically on Tech’s shoulder, making the smaller one stumble a few steps forward.
“So are you finished?”, Crosshair asked.
“If Hunter has no more tasks for today, I am indeed ready to go with you.”
Echo was a patient man, but now he just couldn’t stop asking: “What is going on here? You’ve been acting weird all day long.”
“We are going hunting!”, proclaimed Wrecker excitedly, making Hunter sigh exasperated.
Echo was not sure what the pyro expert meant, was this a euphemism for a mission?
“We are going to ghost hunting.”, Crosshair smirked and Echo was not sure, whether to laugh or not. Clearly the other one had to be joking, but nothing in the voice of the sniper indicated that.
“There is this old house in town, you know.”, Wrecker explained excitedly.
“Haunted house.”, added Crosshair.
“So Cross and I are gonna catch some ghosts! And Tech’s coming along as well.”
“You can’t seriously believe this?”, Echo asked incredulously, this had to be some kind of joke.
“Of course not.”, the younger one answered, “There are no supernatural beings like ghosts or such.”
“Then why are you joining them?”, the ARC was slightly exasperated.
“I will prove that there are no ghosts in this house.”, Tech stated.
Echo shook his head tiredly, this couldn’t be true. They were clones, Commandos for kriffs sake! They were far to mature for ghost hunts.
Well, at least they should be.
“Hunter?”, the ARC spoke to the Sargent, hoping he would stop these three maniacs.
“They will go with or without me.”, the black haired one shrugged his shoulders, “But if I go with them, I can at least keep an eye out for them.”
Echo groaned, facepalming. He’d wish Hunter would just prohibit them from their ghost hunt, but the Sargent was right, that wouldn’t stop the younger ones.
Echo sighed deeply, this must be what Rex must have felt back with the 501st, when the ARC still had been a shiny: “Fine, fine. I will join you all. What hunting gear do I need?”
About half an hour later they had reached their destination, the haunted house. The already sun had began to set, darkness creeping upon them.
The house was rather secluded, the next village was about six click away, and was the house actually more of a mansion than a house. If Echo had to guess, he would estimate that the house was at least 40 years old, as the stone walls were completely overgrown with various plants and the wooden parts like the door, had turned to a dark grayish brown.
Actually it was a rather nice place, Echo couldn’t understand, why this was a haunted mansion.
“Is it really necessary to do this at night?”, Hunter asked tiredly.
“Of course!”, Wrecker boomed, “Ghosts only come out at night.”
The Sargent just hmpfed an affirmative.
“Why exactly is this haunted?”, Echo turned to Tech.
“According to an urban legend, this mansion had belonged to a wealthy man named Thomas Wisson, who had married a young woman Alexandra Latlon. But their marriage was for mere financial reasons, as Latlon had been the daughter of an influential merchant, and Wisson was striving for money and riches. Over time Wisson had built himself a small trading empire and so he was often away for long times, leaving Alexandra alone.
In one of her husbands absences Alexandra fell in love with a local farmer Grant, both of them starting an affair. Upon Wissons return Alexandra asked her husband for a divorce, wishing to end their relationship.
Wisson was furious and in his anger and rage, he killed Alexandra’s lover. Then he locked her into the basement of the mansion, without food and water, to then leave the mansion for another journey, leaving her left for dead. Alexandra died on the fourth day of his absence.
According to rumors, locals still can hear the crying and wailing of Alexandra as she is roaming the house and its grounds, searching for her lover.”
“I love good ghost stories.”, Wrecker stated, but it was obvious to Echo, that the pyro expert was a bit shaken by that story.
“Left for dead.”, Crosshair drawled, “What an asshole.”
“It merely is an urban legend, which means is likely not accurate or fully true.”, Tech piped in, “So when all of you are finished, we can enter the manor.”
“Good with me.”, Wrecker sounded enthusiastically and turned the headlamp on, the EMF detector tightly clutched with his right hand.
“Yes, I’m ready.”, Hunter just agreed sourly, clearly not wanting this adventure at all. Not that Echo blamed him, as he felt pretty much the same.
“Ready as ever be.”, Crosshair stated, a smug look on his face and Echo noticed, that the sniper had attached a small camera to his headlamp.
“Why are you filming all of this?”, Echo asked quietly.
“For research purpose.”, Crosshair deadpanned.
“You are gonna you this as…”
“Blackmail.”, the sniper interrupted the older one, “For what else.”
Echo hesitated for a moment, then he said: “Fine, but only if you send me a copy afterwards.”
“Looks like we have ourselves a deal, reg.”
“Crosshair, Echo, come on!”, Wrecker shouted, waving them over to where Tech was working on the door.
The two hurried over to the rest of their squad, as the door opened with a loud creaking noise.
T
he inside of the house was no big surprise for Echo,
ol
d furniture, spiderwebs and a
disgustingly thick layer of dust.
Nothing here seemed dangerous or haunted even.
“
I’m getting a signal of the EMF!”, Wrecker whispered loudly.
“That is because we are
caring
electronic devices with us, which
emit electronic
frequencies
as well.”,
Tech shook his head.
“
Oh, my bad.”, the pyro expert muttered sheepishly.
“
We should find the basement.”, Crosshair suggested, “After all, that’s where the girl died.”
“
Good idea, Cross.”, Wrecker beamed excitedly, “Hunter, you should go first.”
“Why me? I’m not even interested in that.”, the Sargent was not very happy
about the
situation. He was about to continue, as Hunter suddenly stopped dead in his movements.
“What is it?”, Echo hissed.
“Don’t you hear it? It’ s like footsteps, like someone is in the bas
e
ment.”,
Hunter
explained.
“
Hunter can hear the ghost!”, Wrecker was as giddy and exited as a child on lifeday.
“
This is rubbish.”, Tech began to argue, but Hunter’s
hand gesture made the
genius
shut up.
“
Something is down there, we have to be careful.”,
Hunter whispered, before he drew his knife,
opening the door slowly, trying to be as quiet as possible.
Suddenly
Hunter let out a
high pitched
scream, as a small black shadow attacked the Sargent.
“Take that thing of me!”, the black haired one shouted,
slightly panicked.
“
The ghost!”, Wrecker
shouted
and started
throwing salt at Hunter.
Echo needed a moment to spot the shadow, which was clinging at Hunter’s
thigh and another moment to
realize
w
hat that thing was. It was no shadow or ghost, it was a simple tooka.
Now Echo couldn’t stop himself and he started to laugh, quietly at first, then
getting louder.
Amused the ARC watched how Tech diligently
disengaged the claws of the tooka from Hunter’s leg,
while the Sargent muttered a
litany
of curses
and tried to sweep the salt from his hair and face.
“Sorry Sarge.”, Wrecker chuckled slightly
embarrassed
, “I thought
it
was the ghost.”
“
You and your ghost hunting for kriffs sake.”, Hunter hissed pained, as Tech pulled out another claw.
E
cho just stood there next to Crosshair enjoying the show.
“
I hope you
do
have
that on video.”, Echo smirked.
“Of course, reg.”, the sniper answered smugly.
“
You are the best
Crosshair.”, Echo laughed.
“
Of course I am.”,
the younger one retorted, “
But you are not so bad yourself.”
“Thank you, vod’ika.”
“
Just d
on’t mention it.”