Part 1

Plot: Anakin had not expected to be literally jumped when he went to check on Echo to see how he was settling in. He definitely had not expected the secret that the Bad Batch have been harboring. But he thinks he handles it remarkably well, considering that he's turning into a vampire, too, now. Being a vampire is actually kind of fun, though.

Author's Note: This is technically a sequel to Blood-Bound, but you don't need to read it to understand what's happening here. Enjoy more vampire chaos! :D

We'll be posting the second part of this next week. :)

PS. This is for the Bad Batch Bingo square of "food" and the 501st Bingo square of "Force sensitivity". ^-^

~ Amina Gila

For a moment, no one moves, and Anakin stares at the two clones in front of him, a little taken aback. "I'll be leaving planet in a few hours," he tells Hunter, suspiciously reaching out with the Force to try and see what he can sense. "I would like to see Echo again before I go."

Hunter still doesn't move. Nor does Wrecker who is looming behind him, blocking the doorway to their barracks. They're resolute, unmoved, and even though Anakin has already asked them a couple times if he can see Echo, they're refusing, insisting that he's "resting" so Anakin should come back later. They're not lying, exactly, but it's not the full truth either. It doesn't help that he can sense something… strange inside their barracks from Echo. His presence in the Force is a little different, tinged with a wildness that he didn't have before, and Anakin wants to make sure he's okay before he leaves.

After this, he doesn't know when he'll see him again, and Echo was one of his boys. Even if he's joined Clone Force 99, Echo is still a friend, and Anakin feels a certain sense of responsibility for him. Hunter must understand that, so the fact that he's refusing to let Anakin inside is… suspicious. And a little strange.

It actually reminds him of something that happened some time ago, back before Umbara. They'd been on their cruiser, waiting for new orders, and some of the boys had been fooling around in their barracks. Anakin had felt the highly suspicious rumble that momentarily shook the floor, as if an explosive had gone off, and he'd gone to investigate. Fives had answered the door, cheerfully assuring him that everything was fine, there was nothing to worry about, and clearly the noise was coming from somewhere else.

His cheerfulness was suspect enough, but Anakin might have fallen for it if not for the bright, glittery, magenta paint smeared on Fives' forehead. Apparently, Hardcase had thought it a good idea to experiment with making a glitter paint bomb, and it had… backfired. Spectacularly.

The way Hunter and Wrecker are now acting reminds him of that incident – as well as what he'd said to Fives to get into the barracks.

"Whatever it is, you won't be in trouble," Anakin tells Hunter in much the same way he'd told Fives, trying to hide amusement. They're teens, and chaos is in their nature.

The brothers look at each other, Hunter visibly wavering, but it's clear that he really doesn't want to let Anakin into their barracks.

Hunter straightens. "If you could come back later, sir."

The words echo strangely against Anakin's mind, almost as if there's a power to them, which doesn't make sense, because Hunter isn't Force sensitive. "Did you just try to mind trick me?" Anakin asks incredulously, since he has no doubt that it was deliberate on Hunter's part, whatever exactly he just did. It was real, and not accidental.

The clone's expression sets stubbornly, almost with defiance, and that's a look Anakin is very familiar with. He's seen variations of it on Fives' face so many times – and it still hurts to think about him, to know that he's just… gone. Fives was one of his best friends, and they impacted each other's lives so fundamentally. He doesn't know if he'll ever truly be able to go to briefings or plan missions without thinking of Fives and of how he's not there anymore with them.

More silence.

"I don't know what you mean," Hunter says, and that's a lie.

"Would it help if Echo met me elsewhere?" he finally asks.

A flicker of panic at that, though Hunter's face remains blank. Anakin steps forward, and though visibly hesitant, Hunter and Wrecker back into their barracks, letting Anakin inside. All activity in the room pauses as the door closes behind him, and he does them the courtesy of not mentioning the mess and how it's definitely against regulations. Tech is at his workbench, tinkering with something, and Crosshair is cleaning his rifle on his bunk. Echo is on another bunk, arms crossed tightly over his chest. Outwardly, he looks normal, but something about him is different.

He meets Anakin's gaze, and instead of the respect or affection that Anakin had expected to see, Echo's eyes flare with something dark. Hunger. It takes him by surprise, and he pauses, his words stuck in his throat, as he tries to work out what's happening here.

Echo pushes to his feet, and Wrecker and Hunter instantly step forward, almost as if they're planning to… hold him back?

Echo's gaze flickers from Anakin to his brothers, and back again, and Anakin knows that calculating look, the look of a soldier, an ARC trooper, calculating odds. He has exactly one second to brace himself before Echo lunges at him with a speed that's far too fast to be fully human. Wrecker and Hunter both reach for him, as if they'd anticipated it, but he rolls under their outstretched hands, slamming into Anakin hard enough to knock him back against the door and biting into his neck.

He yelps, more startled than anything else, because it hurts, but he also has a high pain tolerance. "Echo, what the kriff?" he demands, grabbing the clone's shoulder with his prosthetic and prying him off.

Echo fights against him, growling, eyes wild, and finally, Anakin lets him go, letting him reattach himself to Anakin's neck, sucking on the blood from the wound he just bit.

There's an awkward pause of silence, none of the others willing to look Anakin in the eye, each radiating feelings of worry and guilt.

"… Is someone going to explain what's happening?" he asks, more confused than anything else. Fives was a part of the 501st. So was Hardcase. And Echo. Anakin has dealt with his fair share of chaos and "brilliant" ideas that did not, in fact, turn out to be so brilliant after the fact.

More shuffling and shifting and hesitating, and the longer they wait, the more certain Anakin is that they're hiding something big, especially because he can feel an unusual burning sensation radiating from his neck. It spreads further with each beat of his heart, and somewhere deep inside him, he just knows. He's… changing. He doesn't know how, but he knows that he is. And he really would like answers.

"There is no way we can hide this," Tech states after a full minute of silence, but they were all looking at each other, and the Force was quivering strangely, as if they were communicating without words.

Anakin is confused. He's also intrigued.

Hunter sighs, gesturing to Tech, and Tech turns to Anakin. "This is something that is not known by anyone outside this room," he explains, "But we… are vampires."

Anakin blinks, but the words stay the same. "Vampires?" he checks, just to make sure he heard right. "I've not heard of them."

"You wouldn't have," Tech replies, "They are considered to be legendary, not real, but we have discovered otherwise through personal experience. We were on a mission some months ago, and Crosshair was turned there. He turned Hunter, accidentally, and we agreed that Wrecker and I should undergo the transformation as well." He pauses, adjusting his goggles. "We explained it to Echo, and he agreed to become one of us."

Anakin shifts, trying to ignore the strange, soothing warmth inside of him over having Echo pressed so close. In the Force, the clone feels content, no longer quite so wild, and Anakin gently loops an arm around him, touching his back. "What does it mean for you to be vampires?" he queries curiously.

"We… feed on blood," Hunter tells him. "Just each other's though, until now. Echo's still changing, and it tends to make us… feral. Uncontrolled." He shoots a sideways look at Crosshair, who looks entirely unrepentant.

Wrecker shifts. "Sorry," he says, "For not getting Echo in time."

Hunter winces. "Yeah," he agrees, "About that…"

Suddenly, both of them are looking anywhere but at Anakin, until Crosshair tosses aside the rag he was using on his rifle with a snort. "What they're trying to say, sir, is that you're changing, too. The bite of a transforming vampire changes the… victim."

It still seems entirely surreal, and Anakin doesn't really know how to feel about it. He's not really upset though. "It's not Echo's fault," he answers, "Or yours. These things happen sometimes. What do I need to know about being a vampire?"

That's probably the most important place to start, and after a moment, Tech approaches, passing him his datapad with a file open. "I have compiled a report of all of my own notes and observations about our new abilities as well as the changes that we have noticed," he explains. Anakin doesn't miss the way Tech's eyes flicker towards where Echo is feeding from him, or the hunger that flares there. A normal person might be a little scared, but Anakin isn't a normal person, and he finds the whole situation far more intriguing than anything else.

"Are you drawn to all blood?" he queries, curious. "How much control do you have?"

"A lot, normally," Hunter tells him, shifting.

"'S different with you," Wrecker says, "Your pull is stronger to us." His brothers, but mainly the eldest two, throw him aghast looks at the bluntness.

"Why?"

Another pause. "If I had to guess, it is connected to Force sensitivity," Tech suggests. "I have noticed that those who are sensitive trigger a stronger reaction, but… I have never felt anything quite like…" He trails off, not finishing.

"I'm – I'm only half human," Anakin blurts out. "They say half of my genetic material is unknown, that it's the Force. If… It would make sense if something in the blood of Force sensitives is more… enticing."

"Mm. Can I feed?" Crosshair queries, staring at him hungrily.

Hunter whips around to glare at him. "No," he hisses.

Anakin laughs. "I don't mind," he assures them honestly. "I – I'm one of you now, right? It means things will be… different."

Echo shifts, finally lifting his head, and licking his lips, the hunger in his eyes virtually gone. He blinks a few times, as if fully returning to the present, realization and horror filling his gaze. "Echo, it's okay," Anakin blurts out before the clone can start panicking.

"I bit you," Echo says, horrified, backing up a few steps.

"He does smell really good," Crosshair drawls unhelpfully.

"Crosshair!" yells Hunter, picking up the closest object, which happens to be his helmet, throwing it at the sniper's head.

Crosshair catches it out of the air, laughing. They're so… close, and it makes something twist in Anakin's chest when he sees it. What would it be like if he had a sibling? He's seen the closeness many of the clones share, and the Bad Batch seem especially close. And he's glad that they have each other, but sometimes, seeing them together makes him yearn for that kind of relationship with someone. He tries to dismiss it, but it's hard, and he buries the ache deep inside of him.

"He does, though," Wrecker agrees quietly, shifting in place. There's a hunger in his eyes, too, and he keeps stealing looks at Anakin, or more accurately, at the sluggishly bleeding wound on his neck.

"I'm sorry, General." Echo still sounds panicked, and he's bleeding panic and horror into the Force strongly enough that Anakin needs to tighten his shields a little. "I didn't mean to. I – I don't know what came over me. I –"

"Hey," he interrupts gently, holding up his hands in a gesture that he hopes will help Echo calm down. He's trembling minutely, and the Force is vibrating strangely around him, something that Anakin doesn't particularly want to look into right now, not while Echo is freaking out. "Echo, listen to me. It's okay. I'm not upset."

"But I – I –" Echo splutters sounding increasingly desperate. He looks a little sick. Something on the other side of the room rattles, hardly enough to be a cause of concern – even if everyone glances towards it for a moment – if not for the fact that Anakin had felt the Force flicker in its direction, wild and uncontrolled, and… coming from Echo.

That… raises the stakes a little, and Anakin can't deny feeling a surge of apprehension at that. "Echo, calm down," he says soothingly, in much the same way he used to speak to Ahsoka when she was panicking. "It's okay." He injects the faintest Force emphasis into the last word, and he doesn't miss the way the other clones, especially Hunter, twitch, as if feeling it. Weird.

The Force vibrates, a live wire, trembling around Echo, as he finally begins to relax. Crisis averted, Anakin turns to the others. "Tech, can you scan Echo? Something is… different."

Hunter exchanges almost worried looks with his brothers as Tech obliges. Anakin feels a flicker of surprise at whatever the results are, and he does the scan a second time.

"What's wrong?" asks Wrecker when Tech remains silent.

"According to my scans, Echo is showing signs of Force sensitivity," Tech reports, and everything screeches to a halt.

"He's what?" splutters Hunter. "How is that possible?"

"Does that mean he's… a Jedi?" demands Crosshair, sounding intrigued.

"That doesn't even make sense," Echo argues. "Someone can't just become sensitive."

Anakin steps forward. "Actually, it makes sense," he interjects. "You said vampires feed on blood right? That it transforms them?"

"Yes," confirms Tech, and realization flashes across his face. "Do you think his sensitivity was increased by feeding on you?"

Echo looks sick. Crosshair seems even more curious than before. Wrecker is just confused. And Hunter… Anakin can't quite read his face. "It seems reasonable," he answers to Tech, shrugging, glancing down at the datapad Tech gave him, glancing through the report about vampires. There's a lot of theories there, suggestions and hypotheses based off factual data, but that's not what he's most interested in. What he wants to see most is what they've already confirmed.

Enhanced senses. Rapid healing. Increased speed and strength. Telepathy.

The last one, in particular, catches Anakin's attention, because that's something that typically only Jedi can do. Or Force sensitives. "Have you noticed any changed at all in your Force sensitivity after your transformations?" he queries.

"Negative," Tech answers, and the others murmur their agreements.

Well, then it's probably because of Anakin's blood, not anything else. According to Tech's report, the transformation takes around a full rotation to be completed. Which means Anakin won't be able to leave Kamino until after that point in time. It's too risky, especially since he knows nothing about this, unlike the Bad Batch. Until he's… stabilized and learned how to deal with his new instincts and abilities, it would be best for him to remain here.

"I'm sure we'll have plenty of time to investigate that theory," Anakin states finally, pulling out his comm and sending a message to Rex.

Something came up. You go ahead. I'll meet you in one rotation.

"I – I don't think –" begins Hunter, though his words aren't nearly enough to hide the flare of hunger in his eyes at the mere thought.

"I would theorize that the amount of blood consumed is directly proportional to the increase in Force sensitivity," Tech suggests.

"Would you like to test that?" Anakin questions. It's a little bit awkward, this situation, but he's been in all sorts of very strange situations before.

"Yes," says Crosshair, leaning forward, licking his lips. He's hardly the only one on edge, and Anakin can't even quite imagine it, no matter the slowly increasing burning that he can feel inside himself. He's changing. Feeling it, knowing the outcome, it's strange.

"Let's start with Echo," Anakin says, turning to the ARC trooper, who's been extremely quiet. "Echo, I think that you'll be able to move things telekinetically if you focus."

Anakin drifts closer to him, a certain feeling of eagerness inside of him. This is something he can do. He trained Ahsoka. He knows how to get people to connect with the Force and use it; he vividly remembers all of the lessons that Obi-Wan gave him when he was first learning. And besides, there's something so… thrilling about being able to do this for one of the clones. No clone has been Force sensitive before, and he finds it kind of… cool that it can change. It shows even more clearly how they're people, too, despite how so many treat the clones as lesser beings.

Echo's expression is dubious, to say the least. "What do I do?"

"You need to believe that you can do it," Anakin tells him confidently, "Close your eyes. You can feel the Force if you can clear your mind. The Light is… soothing. Warm. Welcoming. It's like… touching a star." He pauses. That might not be quite right. That's how it is for him, but he's so strong. "Or it might feel like a buzz or… water." He's heard both of those descriptions before, too.

Echo's presence flickers in the Force, artificially bright, and Anakin feels it as he connects, tentatively opening himself up. Without thinking, Anakin reaches out to him, touching his mind lightly in greeting, and he sucks in a breath. "Is that… you?"

"Yeah," he answers, smiling, as Echo clumsily reaches back.

"You're so… bright. Stars, General, no wonder the Commander sometimes complained about it being overwhelming." He sounds awed. "It makes sense, now, why the boys can feel you when you use the Force deeply sometimes." They've commented about that before, how they can sense a brightness to him, a warmth, even while not being sensitive enough to use the Force actively.

Anakin ducks his head, abashed. "It – I – it's not –" he stutters out. It's not that special. But he knows he is, that he can be, even if he doesn't want to be.

"It's amazing," Echo states firmly, and there's a glow of life in his eyes, a look of wonder, too, and it's not something Anakin has seen in him since he heard the news about Fives' death. "What do I do now?"

"You can feel the life around you if you reach out," Anakin explains, "And you can feel inanimate objects as well if you focus on them." He gestures, lifting a loose screw from the floor and letting it hover mid-air. "It might seem as though it would be more difficult to lift heavier objects, but that is not so. They only appear bigger to you; it is not harder. But when you're first beginning, starting with small objects is… easier for your mind to focus on."

He lets the screw drop into his hand and holds it out towards Echo. "You try it."

The ARC trooper inhales, nervousness radiating into the Force as he holds out his left hand, a look of concentration on his face.

"You can do it," Wrecker encourages, and Echo flashes him a grateful look.

The screw wobbles a little before slowly and shakily lifting into the air, and Anakin grins. "I knew you could do it," he praises, and one side of Echo's mouth curves into a smile. It's the first time he's smiled in a way that looks genuine since he found out about Fives. He looks like he means it this time.

"Woah," whispers Crosshair, sounding a little awed. "Would all of us be able to do that too?"

"It is possible," Tech affirms, and Wrecker looks gleeful. Hunter just sighs, resigned, but he can't hide the spark of interest in his eyes.

Echo moves the screw and then, attempts to levitate his helmet as well. Anakin lets him, curious as well about what the ARC trooper can do, as well as how long his abilities will remain. It's a nice distraction from the growing, gnawing feeling inside of him. Hunger, he knows, and there will only be so long that he can ignore it. But he is used to dealing with hunger, from his childhood on Tatooine. He knows how to ignore it for long periods of time, no matter how it erodes at his sanity, chipping at his willpower. He'll need to feed at some point, but it doesn't have to be right now.

And if he's being honest with himself, he feels a little weird about asking them to feed. He – it's different when it's the other way around. He's used to sacrificing himself for others, not so much the reverse. Asking for something for himself… it's not something Anakin is very accustomed to.

"Which of you wants to try next?" he asks.

All of them lean forward eagerly, even Hunter, though he's obviously trying to restrain himself.

"Probably, it should not be Wrecker," Tech states matter-of-factly, "I do not know if he will have the self-control necessary, and we are not certain of what will happen."

"I – hey!" yelps Wrecker, offended.

Crosshair snorts. "It's true," he says very unhelpfully, flicking a toothpick at his older brother.

"Knock it off," orders Hunter without looking at them, and it's so similar to the tone Rex uses on the boys when they're annoying each other that Anakin chokes on a laugh.

"Probably, it should be me," Tech adds cheerfully.

"No fair!" Crosshair yells at him.

Hunter looks like he's torn between sighing and face-palming. "For the record, I do not think biting a Jedi is a good idea."

"If it helps," Anakin replies, amused, "I'll probably have to bite you, too."

"Then, I'm first," Wrecker interjects stubbornly, half-glaring at Tech as if daring him to argue.

"I can't believe I'm even listening to this discussion." Echo sounds torn between disbelief, amusement, and some other emotion Anakin can't quite name. "Do you have any idea how many regulations this would break?"

"Remind me why we should care," Anakin snips, smirking, and Crosshair cackles. Hunter snorts.

"They're rubbing off on you," Echo deadpans.

"I resent that," mumbles Tech under his breath.

"Hey, you joined in the chaos, too, once upon a day," Anakin points out. His arm is itching. His prosthetic one, which is a very weird sensation. He rubs it absently. "Didn't you once convince Fives to go skating down the halls after covering your boots with engine grease?"

Echo gives him a look of absolute horror, but the way his cheeks flush red gives him away. "I did no such thing! It was his idea!"

"Wait what?" says Hunter, moving forward. "I need to hear this story."

"No!" Echo can deny it, but he definitely squeaked the word, blushing furiously. "No embarrassing stories, General."

"Aw," pouts Wrecker, and then he looks at Crosshair. "… Should we try that sometime?" he asks in a whisper that is definitely not a whisper.

"Absolutely not," snaps Hunter.

Crosshair looks at him, and then at Wrecker, giving him a thumbs up.

"No," Hunter says again, not even looking at them, "I felt that, Crosshair."

Rex would hate it, but Anakin thinks they would fit in perfectly with the rest of his boys. The 501st has never been the most… conventional, and chaos is the norm there. Even if the Bad Batch pushed the limits, they would still fit. And Rex would hate it. Or at least he would claim he did, but Anakin knows better.

Anakin's about to say something when he feels a sudden flare of pain from Echo. "Are you alright?" he asks as the objects that Echo was levitating around the room – and which the rest of them were doing an admirable job at ignoring, even if Crosshair plucked one out of the air and rolled it across the floor for no apparent reason – clatter to the floor.

Echo rubs his chest, making a face. "I'm not sure," he answers. "I feel… weird."

Tech practically teleports to his side, scanning him. "I believe it is the transformation," he replies, frowning down at the scan results. "I – it appears that your body might be attempting to regenerate some of what has been damaged. I do not think it will adversely affect you, but it may become painful, especially if…" He trails off.

"If what?" Hunter asks warily.

"If his body attempts to eliminate something," Tech answers finally.

Echo rubs his chest again. "Ah," he says weakly.

"I can sedate you, if that would be more comfortable," Tech volunteers.

"You can have my bunk!" Wrecker offers, already shaking out the rumpled blanket and scooping up the tooka doll that's lying there. "And Lula. She'll help." Anakin has the absurd thought that Wrecker is adorable, but it's true. He might be huge, but he's still so… young. Still a teen. And he acts much younger than that sometimes. He's thoughtful, caring, protective, and Anakin is glad to see him turning that onto Echo, who desperately needs it after all that he's lost.

Pain flares again, and Echo flinches. "Y-yeah," he agrees, "That might be a good idea."

Anakin watches, concerned, as Echo lays down on Wrecker's bunk, with Wrecker carefully tucking him in while Tech injects him with a sedative, setting up his scanner to keep monitoring Echo. They're all worried about him – Anakin can feel it – and it makes him content with the knowledge that Echo will be okay here.

His comm suddenly beeps with a bunch of messages, and he pulls it out, glancing at it. They're from Rex.

Should I be worried?

Don't answer that; it's clearly a yes.

Echo okay?

Or is it more Jedi osik?

Fill me in when you get back.

Anakin huffs out a laugh, typing a quick reply. Echo's good. I'll explain when I get back. Hopefully, that will be enough, because if the rising hunger within him is anything to go by, if he sees Rex now, he'll probably try to feed from him. And yes, he wants to turn Rex, too, but he has to do it properly, with his consent.

"Is there a time frame for feeding?" he asks once they've made sure that Echo is settled.

"Not really," Hunter answers, "But you can do it anytime, whenever you're ready."

It feels strange to ask them for something like that, and for all that Anakin tries to hide it, he knows that his indecision must be at least partially visible on his face. Crosshair purses his lips, studying him. Reading him, no doubt, and Anakin glances away under the pretense of looking at Echo. The Force flickers around them, telltale to their silent conversation.

"You can feed from me first," Wrecker volunteers eagerly, approaching him, already tugging at the edges of his body glove neckline, and Anakin breathes out a slightly shaky breath as the hunger twists inside of him.

"Yeah, okay," he agrees. Wrecker has no hesitation with grabbing his shoulder, tugging him closer, and he wavers for a moment, worried about hurting him – or any of them – but his need for food, for blood, is stronger than his reservations, and he bites down onto Wrecker's neck, mimicking what Echo did to him earlier.

And when the blood wells in his mouth, he instinctively curls closer to Wrecker, his growing, vampiric instincts rising up to take over his mind. His body knows what he needs, and it'll fight to get it, no matter what.

Final Notes: Reviews are always appreciated! ^-^

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