Echolocation

"Aw man….dammit; I didn't even see that coming." To anyone that might have been in the recreation room of the Alpha team, they would have thought that a couple of teenagers had been playing on a game system of some description and that one of them had just lost the game they were.

Instead, there was Snake-Eyes sitting with his arms smugly folded over his chest while his apprentice was pushing his hair back, a somewhat bare chess board between them that the young man was playfully glowering at. To the untrained eye, it didn't look like much but to those that knew chess, could see that Snake-Eyes had locked Echo's king in the left corner with his two rooks and used his bishop to apply pressure. The masked ninja scrawled something out and tossed the pad to Echo, who caught it with a playful snatch and he spun the pad around so he could read the written note.

We can work on your game later and Breaker is a very good teacher when it comes to chess.

"That's cool. I mean, chess never really was my thing to be honest, Snakes-Eyes." Echo admitted, handing the pad back to his master. "My friend back home taught it to me so we could pass the time and since he went off to university, I just never really played it since."

The commando ninja nodded slowly, in a fashion that Echo felt was an understanding gesture and the young man picked up a cloudy Knight piece, turning the piece over thoughtfully in his hands. Echo liked this piece for some reason, either the design of the object or the symbolism that the character entailed, but it was a fun piece on the board, always having to move in a L. It was the most unique piece on the board and no other piece was able to mick its approach or attack patterns, so it was great for blindsiding as well.

The young fighter grinned slightly childishly; maybe it was because the piece fought the same way he did, that he liked it so much.

Sitting back, Echo pulled his backpack up from the floor and pulled the box that Master Dogen had given him, setting it one the table. After dropping his bag back on the floor, he opened the box up and pulled the chain out, taking a moment to study the links that made up the chain. It was different from the Wushu chain whip as that weapon had three circular links and then a long piece of metal with hoops; this one was just made up of a small, reinforced steel links for the entire body of the chain. Wrapping the chain around both hands, he gave the metal a solid, jerking tug to feel the tensile strength and smiled as he didn't feel any of the links kink or give at all.

Echo was suddenly aware of his new master's presence and he looked up to see Snake-Eyes tilting his head to the side, his gaze clearly on box and on the chain. The younger martial artist suddenly felt as though he had been incredibly rude to the man that had brought him to his new home and new life, regardless of how temporary that may be.

"Sorry, sir. Master Dogen gave this to me before I left and I've just gotten the chance to opened it." Echo explained, relaxing when his new master waved away his concern and just pointed to the box and the chain. "This? Um, I'm not sure about how to pronounce it, but its name is a Kursi-…Kursagama?"

His master must have known what he was talking about because he nodded slowly and Echo offered the chain to him, the older man taking with a small bow of the head. As he moved the chain around his hands, Snake-Eye paused and then wrote down something on his notepad and slid it to Echo.

How much experience do you have with this weapon?

"Uh, none really. I used the chain whip in Wushu and a short blade like this one in Hapkido," Echo removed the knife in its scabbard and showed his master the blade, before continuing. "but I've never used the two at the exact same time or as one object."

Whatever his master was about to write or express was interrupted by his wrist communicator, a chime sounding off and both fighters looked to the object. Snake Eyes pressed a button and he shrugged as he read the message on his arm, quickly putting a line through what he was writing at the time and replaces with a different message.

Sorry, Echo. It looks like I'm needed for some reports with General Hawk.

If you not here when I'm done, I'll meet you at your quarters in two hours or so, okay?

"Cool, I'll see you there, Master." Echo agreed and began to reset the board when he thought of something. "Oh, Snake-Eyes? Would it be alright if I practice some techniques with the chain and knife?"

The fully covered soldier nodded to his student and gestured to the empty sparring mats that were pretty much in the middle of the recreation room, indicating that that he was allowed to use the space for his training. Echo bowed his head and his master left the room after returning it, the young man leaving the chest set before going to stand in the middle of the open space.

He held the short knife in his right hand and his chain in left hand, trying to decide where he should be starting, sighing because he wasn't ready to start combining the two into a totally foreign that he was unaware of how to use. Walking to the edge of the mats, he deposited his bag there and rested his weapons down as he pulled his sweatshirt off before picking them up again. As he approached the center of the space again, he spun the sheathed knife in his hand and then slid it into his belt behind his back. Once he was satisfied with the placement of the bladed weapon, the young martial artist pulled the chain taunt between his two hands and spread his legs into a long horse stance.

When he had been training in Wushu and Hapkido, he never chose to favor a weapon over another; the only reason he was so flexible and well practiced with the sword was because, along with the staff and the knife, it was one of the most universally common weapon in traditional martial arts, the specifics and detail were things truly differed. As he trained in Wushu, he well known in his old classes for using double weapons and soft weapons as his default and had always tried to remain as traditional to the forms as possible.

But when it came to open practice or when he was told to take a Sanshou approach...well, things changed drastically.

Sanshou was an aspect of Wushu that generally applied to the sparring or as it name translated to of "free fighting". This meant that you could just apply the techniques to what you were doing but it was done in a fashion that allowed to you use the moves in your own style. When his old teachers let Echo use that principle with weapon practice, they eventually had to ban him from sparring his classmates after he received his black sash.

Echo closed his eyes and cleared the room from his minds eye, envisioning that he was free to fight a group of people on his own and that each movement had to finish his opponents. He snapped his back legs and his hands came together, traveling in an arc over his right as it went around his head and then came down in a diagonal swiped. As his hands passed his waist, his left hand shot above his head and the chain was pulled into a quivering straightness as the sudden tension made the chain shake continually.

His lower hand released the links and his upper hand whipped the length of metal over his head. Twisting his wrist around, his arms pivoted around in what would have been a reckless uppercut and the chain was like a serpent of steel as it weaved around him into a vicious swipe in front of him. He then swung the chain around his head, pivoted around and then whipped the chain around again at waist height. As the chain wrapped round him from the left, he pivoted into the chain from the right and as the chain reached the end of it tether, he leaped. His body spun in a full rotation before his left foot swept around in a roundhouse kick, the tail of the whistling in the air as he moved.

He landed in a firm horse stance, his right hand catching the other tail as it came around and he then wrapped the tails in on the coils around his waist. Hooking the tails into his belt, he then reached back and grabbed the handle of the short knife, feeling the weapon able to move freely. That meant he had the height right when he wrapped the chain weapon around him, pulling the the blade free from it sheath.

His index finger hooked in the hoop that was attached to the pommel of the knife, a slight flick in wrist all it took to make the blade start spinning around as his arms entered his peripheral vision. It looked like he had a circular saw in his hand until he caught the handle with the blade in a reverse grip and he brought the weapon around with his arm making a hook punch, leaning forward as the blade passed forward.

Once the knife was on his other side, he leaned further forward and Echo rolled on the floor, slashing out as he stopped in a kneeling position. In his minds eyes, he was at hip height for the average man and that cut had just struck his opponent's knee. He then rotated his wrist over, stabbing his imaginary enemy in the thigh and grabbing him behind the neck. Pushing off with his feet, he and his "opponent" rolled over until Echo was now on top of him, making three quick stabs to the lungs and then a cut to the right side of the neck, where the artery would have been.

Echo then leaped straight up and flipped backs in the air, landing on his feet with a gentle bounce in his knees. He used the blade to block high and then low, giving a roundhouse kick to where someone's head might be. As he came around, he gave a front kick, switching himself so he was side on and gave a side kick immediately afterward. When his foot touched the ground, he did a handless cartwheel to the side he had just kicked and just before his first foot touched the ground, his second leg gave another side kick that would have floored his opponent for sure. Well, unless it was that Williams guys again.

Echo had a chuckle at that and changed grip so that the knife was in a forward grip, starting his knife to knife defenses. Of course, he spiced the moves with acrobatics when he could.

"Damn politicians..." Hawk grumbled, as he looked over a bill that was going to be put through congress. Apparently, some Senator by the name of Martin Rask was trying to push for the

military to sanction all of it special operations through the senate instead of just the president and that all funding was to be decided by the Senate as well.

If that happened, the very safety of his teams could be jeopardized and the very point of G.I. Joe would be compromised. They were supposed to operate behind the scenes and with only the knowledge of the world leaders, the world never supposed to know how close it came to devastation or the resulting panic would be intense.

The general looked up and wasn't surprised to see Snake-Eyes inside his office, the ninja commando bowing to his superior. He was never sure how Snake-Eyes got into most places that he did or how he got past the security systems of the Pitt as times, but he wasn't about to question the intensely private man. His abilities had saved hundreds of people and so he was willing to look the other way when it came to some of the masked man's methods.

"Snake-Eyes." Hawk gestured to a seat in front of his desk. "How's Echo doing?"

Well, he seems to be taking everything in well enough Snake-Eyes singed, the four star general clicking on a video feed and the young man finished doing a complex kick that made him land on his back. Echo sprung to his feet with a flip, not even missing a beat like he had planned for it to happen.

"Well, at least it looks like your student is taking things seriously." General Hawk commented in amusement as he and Snake-Eyes watched the newest recruit to Joes practice in the recreation room for the Alpha team. The young gave a series of very fast stabs and then gestured to pushing something or someone away before leaped back in a series of horizontal spirals. "Well, I'm impressed with him so far."

As am I, General Snake-Eyes signed. While his Ninjutsu is still being developed, his combat potential is certainly there. His other martial arts are certainly being used effectively, as we saw in the evaluation today.

"So, you think he has potential to succeed here?" Hawk asked curiously, impressed by the resolute nod from the master fighter across his table. Clearly Snake-Eyes saw a great deal of potential in the young man as a student and wanted him to achieve all that he could, first time that the masked man had ever expressed such things. "So, what could you find out about him?"

And at that question, Snake-Eyes sighed and leaned back in his chair, his mind clearly trying to process what had been said and what he had learned about the young man. That had been his reason for getting Echo to play chess, because it was a long game and it allowed him to ask the questions that needed to be asked. The young man had been very forthcoming and honest towards all of his questions, even if they made him uncomfortable due to having to remember things that he thought that he had put to rest.

He had it rough, General. In high-school as much as of a up hill battle for him as it was in the dojo, people always holding his lack parents above his head Snake-Eyes explained, thinking of where would be a good place to start. That kid that he told us about? The one he saved? That was his only honest friend in school and his only other friends was two kids name Wesley and Abigail, those he made in the dojo. Everyone else alienated him.

"All because he was an orphan?" General Hawk was a doubtful as he sounded dubious. "I find that a little hard to believe."

No, because he preserved through their bullshit and he didn't rise to their taunts. I had one of the techs call the dojo and ask about how Echo acted in the class. He was a model student Snake-Eyes explained.

"Well, I guessed as much from the way he fights." Hawk was confused by the ninja's shaking head.

No, it had nothing to do with his fighting abilities. It had to do with how he treated his classmates Snake-Eyes revealed, surprising the general a little. Its the reason he only has his first dan in his other martial arts. Echo would deliberately hinder his own training by helping the worst in the class so that the class as whole would be on the same level, even if he didn't get along with the other student.

"So people looked down on him because he helped others in the class. They must have taken that a gesture of arrogance." Hawk mused, Snake-Eyes nodding slowly.

He also didn't retaliate against any abuse directed at him Snake-Eyes revealed. The scar on his back? That was because he refused to fight agaisnt a jock in high school and only responded when he got hurt and it seemed other people were in danger. The only time he responds to what someone says to him is when they are talking about his friends or about his teachers.

"Well, that explains why he trashed Talbot the way he did. He didn't respond to what Talbot was saying until he start going on about you and his other masters."

Exactly. Echo values the respect given to his teachers and to attack that is pretty much an attack on his beliefs Snake-Eyes explained.

"So, he's an emotional withdrawn young man who believes in giving his best and making sure those in his class, and subsequently his team, are all at the same level." Hawk watched as Snake-Eyes shrugged and nodded.

If we were to summarize him, then yes Snake-Eyes agreed, the fully covered man tilting in confusion when he saw Hawk chuckling slightly.

"Sorry, Snake-Eyes." He apologized, tilting his head towards the screen with Echo on it. "Its just easy to see some similarities between the student and the teacher."

At that comment, Snake-Eyes paused and watched his student. The young man kicked and then cut in the opposite direction. He then pulled the chain free and hooked the knife to the clip, untwisting himself by pivoting in a spin kick. The blade was resting on the floor and Echo tentatively kicked it out, sweeping it around before it fully extended on the chain. As it came around his back, the young man caught the knife by the handle and stopped moving.

The young man turned to address someone who had just entered the room. But Snake-Eyes was considering the words of Heavy-Duty and now General Hawk.

Echo stepped back with the chain coming around his back and caught the handle of the knife easy enough, surprised as he never done it before. He rationalized that since the weapon was similar to the chain whip, he could just use a similar technique he had been shown in Wushu. He paused and relaxed as thought back to the forms that he had been reading in the manual that Dogen had given him.

"Taking a break, Echo?" A voice asked him and Echo looked up to see the first man that Snake-Eyes had introduced him to, Breaker.

"Yeah, just a bit. Trying to figure out the first form for this new weapon." Echo said as he walked over to his stuff. "What are you up to, Mr. Shaz?"

"Ah, call me, Breaker, kid." The technical expert said as he turned back to the object that he was working with. "And this is an improvement to our communication systems when were in the field; to allow communications to be heard but not to block all other noise out."

Echo picked up his bag and walked over to the table that Breaker was working at; the device he had looked like a dogs collar with some extra cables on it and a pair of headphones coming out of it. Echo took a seat, studying the object as he undid his knife and chain. He had to chuckled lightly, sliding the knife away in its sheath as he watched the other man work.

"That looks way too complicated for me to understand." Echo admitted, staring closely at it. "I see the headphones but were is the mic that use to communicate with?"

"I will be here, on the collar. See this?" Breaker lifted up the collar and showed Echo two small disk that had two wires running from each one. "These are throat mics."

"Throat mics?"

"Yes, they sit on either side of the Adam's apple and as you speak, the mic is triggered and your voice will be heard even if you speak very softly."

"Wow, that's pretty cool." Echo said as he looked a the equipment, Breaker looking at his wrist computer when it began to chime. "Maybe I should have paid more attention in physics or some other science class."

"Come on, kid. Let me show you the more digital side of our operations, okay?" Breaker said teasingly as he stood up, Echo walking up from the lowered section of the Alpha Rec Room and pulled on his sweatshirt before he pulled his backpack on.

Echo followed Breaker with amused curiosity and played with the length of chain in his hands, swinging it in long loops as he walked behind the technology specialist. He noted how the sheath and the handle of his knife fitted nicely against the small of his back, the handle just over his right hip where his ribcage stop. Breaker was so engrossed with his wrist mounted computer that he was almost moving on autopilot and this meant that Echo had to focus on him moving rather than where he was actually going. He slowed down as he entered a massive room filled with dozens of computer screens and a massive screen on one of the walls, the entire room centered around a odd looking machine that had a floating image of the globe on it.

"Welcome to the Command Center, Echo." Breaker said, the young fighter nodding mutely as he took everything in with awe. "Just give me a moment and I will be right with you."

The technology expert then turned to a man standing beside him and Echo made his way down the ramp to the center of the room. As he walked around the communications section, the young fighter was a little overwhelmed by the quantity of high quality equipment and stared at the holographic globe suspended in the air. He tentatively reached out and touched the globe, the image swivel suddenly and zooming in at the location that Echo had touched, his hand snapping away from the unit faster than the crack of a bullwhip. The shape of the country was soon just floating in front of him and a list of relevant information about the country being scrolled through as he read, Echo never knowing anything about Thailand to begin with.

"Fucking hell..." Echo muttered quietly as he saw the three dimensional detail that was being shown to him and that it even showed him the weather cycles that were current and going to happen. Everything needed for a mission or for a vacation was being filled in by the machine. "What Ian would give to have some of this technology..."

"Hey Echo." The young man turned to see Breaker having finished with his errands and was grinning broadly at the newest recruit of the Joes. "So, what do you think?"

"I think I should have paid more attention in my computer classes." Echo said as he glanced around again. "I mean, this place is awesome. I know a few computer geeks I was close with back home that would do pretty much anything to get near this stuff."

"Well, we research and develop most of our own equipment here and given the standard of technology, its not the sort of thing that we want to be advertising that we have." Breaker explained, Echo nodding in understanding. "Its kind of why we have such a crack down on what our technicians say or reveal to their families. We just don't know who could be listening to them and its better to err on the side of safety."

"Eh, don't worry too much. Ain't that many people from back home that I'm in contact with, so your secrets are good with me." Echo assured Breaker, missing the look on the tech specialist as he looked around the room again. "Where do you find these people anyway? I'm not really familiar with the whole recruiting process here."

"Well, you see, we get half the officers here from the army and other military operations and we normally pick the best and the brightest of the communication and intelligence officers that we can find at any given time." Breaker explained, the two walked around the three dimensional projection unit and walkign closer to the massive screen that Echo had glimpesed at when he first entered. "And the other half we get from from intelligence agencies like the FBI, the Joint Task Force,..."

"Whoa, whoa; so some of these guys are like spies or something?" Echo asked in confusion, Breaker chuckling slightly.

"Not exactly. Those intelligence agencies are made up of much more than spies and field operatives; they have dozens of agents that are specifically trained to deal with massive amounts of information we gather and process it into useful data for us." Breaker explained, nodding to Echo. "How do you think we got all the information on you?"

"I just figured you had a hacker or some agent made inquisitions before you lot drafted me." Echo admitted, rubbing the back of his head.

Breaker had a slight laugh at the young man, patting his arm. "It's alright, you'll learn as you get used to being here." The older man assured, looking up to see a technician waving him over. "Excuse me a moment, please."

"Sure thing, Breaker." Echo said as he watched his new friend hurry off to the person calling for his attention.

As he studied the massive screen and wondered how cool it would be to play video games on it, Echo turned his head when he heard a pile of papers hit the floor with someone groaning with the words "oh shit..."

Elisa had been surprised to see her mentor followed by the apprentice of Snake-Eyes, that Tobias that she had been assigned to observe in the mess hall. She was didn't think that he was one for technology and to see him taking an interest in the center display unit was amusing, especially when he looked start to see the holographic projects react to his touch she nearly giggled at his face.

She was actually glad that she got to see him in person now and she noted that he was just as attractive as his photograph made him out to be. Sure, the chain wrapped around his right arm was a little odd and to see him carrying a long knife where one normally carried a firearm was strange too, but he still looked relatively normal compared to the soldiers in the room. He looked like he had been untouched by the horrors of war and while he had hurt people, he was yet to take a life.

But then again he wasn't at the same time. There was something in the way that made him move and the way he seemed to glide around people that gave him an almost superhuman essence to him, which was only enhanced by his martial art talents. Within that aura of supernatural chaos, it gave that illusion that he could be one of the most surprising and unexpected recruits that G.I. Joe would ever enlist in their services.

Elisa shrugged as she contemplated that thought. It wasn't as though this outfit recruits normal people to begin with. Since only the best were allowed to enter in this unit, she knew that Echo had to make that cut and from his scores so far, he was living up to being Snake-Eyes's apprentice. But still it nagged at her; what surprises did this Echo have up his sleeve?

She glanced at the young man as he walked past her with Breaker, the two looking happy as they talked with each other. As she got back to her work, Elisa noticed Breaker pass her desk to take care of an issue and she started to stand to ask him a question. Only problem was that as she stood, she turned into a cluster of files that someone had kindly left on the edge of her workspace and the entire pile went crashing to the floor.

"Oh shit..." Elisa muttered as she knelt and began sweeping up her papers, trying to avoid looking up at anyone.

She had gotten about half of her papers, when she noticed that someone was helping her and had gotten the rest of the documents gathered up for her. Holding the files that she had to her chest she watched as the man looked up to her and she fought the urge to fidget when she saw that it was the very man she had been observing that was now helping her.

He glanced from side to side, hesitantly holding the files out to her. "Sorry, just thought you could use the help."

Echo didn't think that helping the young lady would have been a bad idea but the puzzled look on her face was making him guess twice. Well, he didn't really think that it was puzzlement but more along the lines of surprise and that surprised him even more. He didn't think that he looked like the rude type but maybe she had some bad experiences or-

"Ah, sorry. Thank you so much." The woman said as she came out of her little paralysis and accepted the folders in Echo's hand, the two standing quickly to get out of the officer's way. "I can be so clumsy when I get tunnel vision."

"Yeah, I know that feeling." The young fighter said in amusement, the woman rolling her eyes a bit with a giggle. "Sometimes you can just forget the world around you."

"Just as long as you get that one things done, then you can pick up the mess after-wards." She concluded, making Echo chuckle and she set her files down, offering her had to newest Joe recruit. "My names Elisa Edwards, but the codename is Cyber." She introduced, nodding to Echo. "You're Snake-Eyes's apprentice, aren't you?"

Echo blinked owlishly, surprised that she even knew who he was. "Yeah, I'm Tobias. How did you know who I was?"

"Well, I've got two jobs here. One is provide in field information for the squads that are out on mission, sometimes even guide them through a tough situation." She explained, Echo able to understand the gist of what she was saying. She was a voice in the ear when things got tough. "The other thing I do is help maintain security protocols and personnel data. So the moment you came into the Pitt, I was handed your file and I put it all into our database."

As she spoke, Echo used that time to take her whole appearance in. Her short brown hair had to be just at her shoulder or maybe just longer, given the ponytail that she had on the back of her head. Her face was odd because it's most striking aspect was her bright smile that she tried but failed to hide. She had light blue eyes that were really highlighted by the freckles that she had along her cheeks and nose and she reminded him of someone that had been described as "girl next door".

For some reason, this Elisa really seemed like that but at the same time she was mesmerizing to look at. Her fatigues didn't really do her figure justice but it did show him that she had a slender frame and the way she held her arm over her modest bust showed him that she was shy fro some reason.

"Wow, that's impressive." Echo said as he looked at her workspace and saw the running code frames and the small video cameras running. "So you're one of those scary smart people, huh?"

"Uh, well, I guess in a way I am." Elisa admitted as she sat down at her desk and typed a quick command into the machine before turning back to Echo. "I've been wanting to ask you something, if that's alright."

"Yeah, that's fine." Echo said as he leaned against her desk slightly.

"The word going around here is that Snake-Eyes directly recruited you from a martial art school." She asked tentatively and Echo was surprised that he nodded, encouraging her to continue on. "How did he find out about you?"

"Ah, well, my master at the time had been a teacher to Snake-Eyes when he was younger and he felt that I would learn better from someone younger than him." Echo said, happy to discuss how the Joes found out about him and happy to leave the discussion of his place in the facility out of it. "I guess Snake-Eyes saw something he could improve or someone who would benefit from his guidance, so he agreed to it."

"I saw you fight earlier today, it was very impressive." Elisa admitted, Echo ducking his head as he blushed and shrugged as though it was nothing. "No, I'm serious. I've never seen a fight like the one between you and Snake-Eyes."

Again, all Echo could do was shrug. "I just reacted. I knew what to expect from him more so than the soldiers." When she looked at him in confusion, Echo continued on. "The soldiers here are military fighters, trained for combat that extends beyond hand-to-hand fights but as a result, they only take their unarmed combat so far sometimes. With Snake-Eyes, I know he is a master of a martial art that has been around for over a century and I knew I had to pull out every single stop if I wanted to stay standing at all."

"Hmm, that does make sense. I don't really look at the personnel files or memorize them so I only know Snake-Eyes as a close-quarters specialist and infiltration expert." Elisa said in a apologetic tone and Echo smiled, lifting his hands slightly to show her not to worry.

"Nothing to worry about really. Just how I know him differs from how you know him, that's all." Echo said, the young woman relaxing and a comfortable silence settled over them as Echo glanced around and Elisa typed in some command to her station. "So, if you don't mind me asking, how were you recruited?"

"Me? Well, I was an early admission to university and I actually graduated from Cal-Tech when I was about nineteen because my professor allowed me to double load my course." She explained, the young fighter slightly boggled at how casually she mentioned her education. "As I was getting ready for my graduation and I was preparing job applications, my programming teacher got me in touch with the Department of Defense and next thing I knew, I was enlisted in basic training."

"Damn, that's pretty impressive." Echo said, his hands resting inside his hoodie pockets. "See, you are one of those scary smart people."

"Mm, only with computers and stuff that relies on math." Elisa said dejectedly, glancing at the young fighter as she bit the corner of her lip tentatively. "I'm pretty bad with words because I have dyslexia, so the numbers they kind of help...calm the craziness of words down for me."

"Really? Dyslexia?" Echo was surprised and he missed the conflicted look on her face change to surprise at his next comment because he looked up at the map with a smile. "But you've found a way to beat, yeah? In a way, instead of letting it hinder you even further, you used it to excel in other areas."

Echo knew what it was like to be given a disorder because you learned differently. So many of his teachers tried to convince him that he had ADD or ADHD because he liked to fidget in class when it really was due to the fact that he was more of a kinetic learner rather then a auditory learner or a visual learner.

Yes, he could watch someone perform an action and then replicate it well enough but that was because he was physically doing the action, not writing an essay on it or trying to draw the figure's movements. He always found that moving helped his thought process move along and even did so subconsciously, prompting to consciously keep himself still when he wasn't doing anything.

"I guess your right." Echo looked at Elisa as she spoke and she was looking into space until she glanced at the young man beside her, smiling. "I never thought if it that way. Thanks, Tobias."

"Call me Echo. I respond faster to that name." He said with a small smile and offered his hand to her, which she gladly took. "And anytime, I'm always happy to help."

"Ah, I'll keep that in mind then." She said with a chuckle.

"Cool. Just give me a shout I guess and I'll come running" Echo suddenly remembered that he had a problem that Elisa could probably help him with, turning to her sharply as she giggled. "Ah! Maybe you could help me with something then."

"Of course, what is it?" Elisa asked in concern as the tone in his voice, Echo sighing deeply.

"Can you please show me how to shut that damn screen off in my room so I can sleep?" Echo miserably pleaded.

The giggles of Elisa and Echo's chuckles could be heard throughout the command center.