TBB - This, was my issue (ECHO/TECH)
By Gun Roswell
Preface
Realisations
Missing you too
Preface
Set somewhere in the The Bad Batch galaxy of things
*TBB S2 E9*
Echo has left the Batch to join Rex with the Clone Rebellion.
Tech is lost, confused, hurt? Angry?
But he does not understand why.
Enter Omega.
A short ficlet/ snippet in the life and times of TBB.
Part of Echo/Tech series.
Realisations
'The eye opener being the simple fact of loosing someone close, never having realised how much they had really meant.'
"Clone Force 99 existed long before Echo was part of it and it will exist after her is gone. What. Is. Your issue?" Tech's tone was clipped, angry even.
"What is your issue?" Omega snarled back at him before stomping off leaving the confused man glaring at her retreating form.
Tech was wordless, sitting there in perfect silence for a longest spell. The realisation hitting home. His issue becoming more and more clear. Tech missed Echo too. Echo had left them. Left the Batch. Left, Tech.
"Omega, can we talk? About Echo?" Tech's tone was low, soft, kind. The previous temper tantrum over.
"You. Want to talk about Echo? Why?" Omega was still on the defensive. But she would not turn Tech down either. Because she too wanted to talk about Echo.
"Omega… there is something you need to understand about that… About me and Echo…" Tech started, adjusting his goggles not really good at this kind of conversation. But, if anyone would understand him, Omega was the one.
Omega gave Tech a sideways glance. Waiting for him to continue, still not trusting him fully. However, Tech had saved her life just now. Jumped after her without thinking and guess, he did care for her even if Tech had not said as much. Having even tried to explain it. About processing things differently… And on some level Omega could understand that even if it seemed different to her in so many ways. How she herself felt about people and things. Omega wasn't about to judge Tech for being built differently. How could she? They were all different. And so, she was willing to hear more of what Tech was telling her. Now that the two of them were finally sharing more than simple vessel specs, mathematics or any such things which Omega did not consider, personal.
Seeing that Omega was settled by his side and content in listening in, Tech decided to reveal something to the Kid he had not shared with anyone. Most likely because he had not even realised what it was, until now.
"You know how Echo and myself worked together. Rather well I might add." Tech did not mind admitting it. Despite the two of them seemingly bickering constantly, it was simply the way Tech and Echo had shown their care for each other. Their dynamic. Both of them appreciating the other and what they could do. As despite their similar skillsets, the two of them had complimented each other in the work they did. Sometimes being able to complete tasks without talking having been completely tuned into the other. And now, that dynamic was gone. The banter, as Tech liked to call it, was no longer the constant. The co-pilot seat now empty during most flights. Tech missed Echo. More so than he cared to admit. Alas, here he was, about to spill his guts to the Girl in the way only Tech could.
"You did. I know that." As this was not news to Omega, but she waited for Tech to continue patiently.
"Well… it wasn't just the tasks or the missions Echo and I were suited so well together." Tech adjusted his goggles nervously again, this talking thing about feelings and such becoming harder than he had realised initially. Specs were easy. Emotions. Less so. Still so, Tech soldiered on. "We spent a lot of time together, talking, sharing war stories, planning… and guess I had not realised until Echo was gone how much he was a part of my day. Part of my life. Part of… me." Tech was having a hard time in explaining all of this even if he wanted for Omega to understand his earlier outburst and the fact that he too missed Echo despite not saying it out loud. Most likely Tech missed him more than any of the others did. Even Omega despite Echo and the Kid having become close.
Tech glanced at Omega, seeing her clearly digesting the last tidbit Tech had just dropped. She seemed, surprised. Not saying anything at first, not that she needed to. But it would have been nice to have some counter comment? Right?
Tech observed her, seeing the emotions on her face clear as day as the realisation hit her. Omega was easy to read and Tech envied that in her.
"You love him." Omega finally said, her voice a soft whisper. "Echo."
"I do. We all do. Love each other. We are a unit after all."
It sounded somewhat of a clichéd and a tad clinical description even.
Omega shook her head. Surprising Tech with the reaction. Something happening a lot on this day it seemed. The surprises. For them both.
"No. That is not what I meant. I mean I know we love and care for each other. We're a family. And I know you care for me too. Well, now I do." Omega smiled softly suddenly. "But what I meant is that you really love Echo."
Leave it to a child to be so totally empathetic and to realise something so obvious without too much of an explanation. Something which had eluded Tech until now.
Tech swallowed hard. Because Omega had hit the nail in the head with a somewhat soft hammer.
"I do. Very, very much so."
"You should tell him that." Omega was pretty sure Echo did not know about about it. Not really. She had not seen something like that going on before. An adult relationship as Hunter called them when Omega had asked about the birds and the bees and all that at some point. So she had to assume the two weren't together together?
Tech's eyes blew wide just then. Was it that obvious? Had be missed something? Well, he had, finding this all out for himself only now. And so perhaps, Echo had similar feelings for him? Echo loved to hang out with Tech more than the others did. Well part from Omega the two of them really having bonded.
"I know." Was all Tech managed to respond. Thinking Omega was right. It might just be as simple as that. To tell Echo how he felt for him. At least, Echo would know and Tech would get some closure in the matter, either way.
Just the Wrecker and Hunter bursted out from the water fall, splashing around in the water before hauling themselves up and to the bank where Tech and Omega had been waiting for them while chatting about Echo.
Missing you too
'Better to have loved and lost? Or perhaps it's better to call up that lost love after all? To figure out if the love truly is lost?'
Tech was totally nervous. Feeling anxious more likely. Having the chitters as he had read somewhere on the HoloNet during his extensive research into the matter. Of feelings, relationships and such. Stuck between a rock and stupid place perhaps?
Having opened the comms channel and immediately closed it for the umpteenth time while trying to make that call he was supposed to be doing. But it seemed like an improbable task to complete. Tech glaring at the instruments in front of him as if blaming the inanimate object for his failure.
Whomever said caring for someone - being in love, guess that was what this was after all, Tech being in love with Echo - could be so… nerve wrecking!
Tech had tried to analyse his feelings over and over again ever since the discussion Tech had had with Omega alas failing in the analysis. As clearly, Tech had not gotten the results he had wanted. And so with all that science failing him, digging deep into his psyche and having come to the one conclusion he had accidentally fallen into.
The love thing. And so here he was, wishing never to have stumbled upon this particular revelation.
But, even if he felt awkward about being… in love, if that was truly what this was, the rewards he had imagined would outweigh this, initial stupidity. Right? As this was what he felt himself to be. Some awkward teenager stupidly having the biggest crush on someone unobtainable.
Tech sat there for the longest time. Wallowing in self-doubt and a myriad of emotions, sensations and feelings he had never gotten in touch with. As apparently, once the faucet was turned on, there was no off switch?
Kriffing hellspell! Tech once again reached for the on switch of the communicator, his finger looming on the button but this time, he did not hit the on button. Quickly extracting his finger like having been electrocuted by the thing. Guess he had been?
Tech, was so, so confused.
Sitting at the helm inside the empty Marauder parked in the landing zone. The others having taken out to the city, leaving Tech to his own devices. Starting to regret staying behind after several heartfelt moments passing. The genius dwelling in all these newly discovered somewhat disturbing sensations was not what he had planned to do. At all.
Sighing heavily, Tech leaned back in the seat and before he realised it, he had dozed off.
"Beep beep!"
Tech heard the annoying noise. Flailing around with his arms, trying to push it away and continuing his sleep. Having been deep in the dreamworld and with the most perfect dream. Featuring none other than the object of his desires, Echo.
"Beep! Beep!"
Tech's eyes cracked open. Feeling the drool at the corner of his mouth, wiping it off before adjusting his goggles to look at what it was disturbing him right smack in the middle of…
"Dank Farrik!"
Realising it was the communications console blasting an alert of an incoming call. Tech glanced at the device annoyed, having not excepted anyone to call. The rest of the squad having their personal communicators with them would called Tech on his if they needed help.
Sighing heavily, Tech reach for the on switch and opened the channel without even looking at the caller id. That's how annoyed Tech was for having been woken up by the karking thing.
"Yes?"
"Well, well, aren't we in a mood." Which was accompanied by a soft chuckle.
The blue glow was filled with the familiar face. The most perfect one in Tech's mind. Having seen it in his mind's eye in the most perfect dream he had just been subjected to.
"Echo."
Tech's tone had just jumped from a very clipped and curt to the most coarse and low it could possibly be.
"It's me, Tech." Echo chuckled again, the low timbre sending all kinds of good vibrations across Tech's body. "I heard from a very reliable source you have missed me." Echo sounded somewhat coy, as it was a joke he was stating. The missing part. Alas, it did not feel like that at all.
Tech's eyes darted around for a moment, the realisations hitting quickly. "Omega."
"Yeah. Omega." Echo looked straight into Tech's eyes. As if the two of them shared a secret only Omega was privy to. And guess, they really did. "So, was she wrong?"
Tech had nowhere to hide anymore. Not from his feelings nor the question. Echo clearly asking the question from him and perhaps even having given a partial answer to the one rattling in Tech's mind for the longest while. The one which had most likely caused him to not be able to make the call. Whether Echo felt the same way.
"No, Echo. She wasn't wrong." Tech let out a soft sigh, not out of frustration though rather the fact that the situation had kind of resolved itself. Or rather with a little bit of meddling from Omega.
"I have missed you. A lot it seems." Tech then admitted as much, finding it difficult to talk once again but at the same time elated to tell Echo about all of this. Which again was something of a new sensation for Tech. "And guess I have come to a conclusion… with um… that I am…" Tech paused, sounding choked while trying to find the correct words which would not sound as a clinical description of something someone on the HoloNet had described as a most beautiful experience of their lives. Yes, Tech had really dwelled deeply into the romance world of the net as well. Reading anything and everything remotely related to the subject matter.
Echo was patiently waiting for the now chocked Tech to continue on what he wanted to say. But seeing the familiar nervousness, Tech's hand going to adjust his goggles more than once, his eyes darting every which way Echo decided to take the lead. Having somewhat of experience in the matters of love and intimate relationship. As despite the doubt Tech might have harboured the cyborg might just not return his feelings, Echo had been privy to the connection the two had shared for some time now. Alas, not wanting to push things unless Tech was to come to some conclusions himself. And it seemed he had.
"Tech…" The soft call of his name made Tech connect with Echo's gaze again, seeing the adoring expression on the other man's face he could not tear himself away from. Simply staring into the blue glow. Having Tech's full attention once again, Echo decided to take the next step for them both. "I love you Tech."
Tech was dumbstruck. Having clearly not expected such a direct approach from Echo, let alone the him admitting to, well anything at all. The love? Then again, Tech should have known better, Echo never the one to mince words.
"You don't have to say it back." Echo paused again his gaze never wavering. "But when you are ready, know that I am here for you. Even if I am… on this other mission now." That was how Echo hoped the others to see his involvement with Rex's cause. Being on a mission, not having left them. Simply being needed elsewhere for the moment. Hunter had used the expression too while trying to convince Omega of the same.
Tech must've stared at Echo for a longest while. Hearing him clear his throat a soft smile emerging on Echo's face.
"Did I break you?"
"No… no I am… good. Better than that…" Tech was again trying to find the correct words, seemingly loosing them at a rather alarming rate! Perhaps he really needed to run a self diagnostic on himself!
"We can talk about this later if you like. If this is too…" Echo was interrupted by Tech.
"No, no. I want you to know it now." Tech adjusted his goggles for the umpteenth time, clearing his throat and then. "I… I love you too, Echo."