#Tech loves Echo’s horrible ideas and goes along for the ride

[dragonrider9905]

Hi guys! This is a little something a friend and I wrote a bit back:) Now that it’s cold I thought I’d share it! I hope you enjoy it!

Statistics in Stupidity

Summery: Echo decides to have a little fun with the Batch and see whose tongues can get stuck on frozen metal. How many of them will fall for it?

Echo looked out his window of the room he shared with his brothers in the Naboo palace. Since he was just new to the Batch and still healing of his wounds, Anakin thought it would be a good idea to assign Clone Force 99 on slightly easier missions to ground the newly rescued clone and give him time to adjust to …. everything. All the changes that had happened since Echo had been held by the Techno Union. Echo’s mischief-making twin was gone, he had new cybernetic limbs he had to adjust to, and the art of living from day to day. Survivor's guilt was one thing, but so was the trauma of what was endured. Echo needed something to do and a break so naturally, Anakin thought Naboo was a good idea. Commander Cody must have thought it was a good idea too because he didn’t need Rex to nudge him at all to give his special ops force a break. He did it in a wink of an eye.

And Anakin was right.

Naboo was beautiful. A wonderful planet to get into little adventures on, especially around the palace. In winter, when the planet is covered in snow, Theed looked enchanting and for a clone who’s only ever seen a watery storm; the ice reflecting in the snow on a golden morning when the sun rises with the reds, oranges and pinks was a memory truly treasured and imprinted in the mind forever.

The assignment was simple. Guard Senator Padme Amidala at the upcoming gala in three days. . . which left lots of free time on the hands of the Batchers…and Echo possessing the spirit of the 501st mischief and trickery and Fives’ spirit beside him. Echo thought he'd have a little fun.

And here Hunter was worried that Echo wouldn’t fit in and feel out of place. He wanted him to feel at home right away but it was unrealistic to expect that. He was partially right of course. Echo did feel odd with a whole new set of brothers who were not his own batchmates but they tried hard to make Echo feel welcome and the chaos he served under in the 501st and the Batch were startlingly similar. Hunter hoped that in time Echo would be comfortable with their jokes and jabs and their whole chaotic mess; little did he know that oh yes, Echo would fit in just fine. . .

—————————

Everyone knows not to lick frozen metal. That is common knowledge, or at least Echo thought. If you read the How to Survive in Frigid Temperatures manual, section 33 of chapter 2, volume 1, it clearly states that.

——————————

Echo, Wrecker and Tech were walking the grounds of the palace together on the pretense of ‘scouting’ the area to become familiar with their new surroundings when they came upon a simple metal contraption in the center of the garden more towards the back of the palace.

“Naboo’s existence has lasted many millennia. They have kept many of the customs their people held to this day, only modifying a few. Now the royal family is elected but before it was handed down by blood. Children would grow up in the palace in those ages where now that is not the case. It is interesting to see that they have kept the exercise ‘play’ structures around. Being a people of tradition, it does not surprise me.”

Echo’s eyes gleaned looking at the tall windy stairs, slides and firepoles compiled and a sparkle flashed behind his eyes as a memory came to mind. He knew he really shouldn’t do it, but he had to. He just had to. Tech was already on the other side of the ‘playground’ studying the structure. Perfect.

After all, after the ‘incident’ happened, how could he NOT test out who would do it or not.

“Wrecker, don’t lick the poll.”

“Wha? Why not?”

Echo had to stifle a laugh and keep his face a convincing unconcerned neutral.

“Because I said so.”

“Oh yeah? Watch this!”

Wrecker stalked up quickly to the playground and in less than two seconds, Wrecker’s tongue was stuck.

“Uhhhh Eko, a wi-el hek plea-”

“Wrecker! Wha- how did that happen? I’ll go get Tech and see if he can help.”

“Ank Oo”

So Echo rounded the set and came upon Tech who was intently studying a turning, circular structure Echo remembered being referred to as a ‘merry-go-round’.

“Hey Tech, whatcha looking at?”

“I am merely studying the fluidity and output of the turn per force applied. I might be able to do something with this idea…”

“Don’t lick it.”

Tech stopped up short and looked at Echo quizzically. “Why–why would I lick it?” His eyes got round and he raised an eyebrow at the ridiculous notion. “My tongue would stick to the metal, creating a difficult and painful removal.”

Echo had to let out a chuckle. He couldn’t contain his laughter any longer nor could he keep his mischief making to himself. He had to share his story. “Hehe, I know; once I was on a mission with my twin, Fives, and overnight the planet dropped to below freezing temperatures. It was our first time in the cold and Fives wanted to experience it first hand—by touching and tasting everything in sight. It was an advanced planet like this one and we came across a playground like this. I told him ‘Fives, don’t lick the swing set’ and before I could tell him why, he just said ‘don’t tell me what to do’ and did it.” Again Echo let out a nostalgic laugh and a few tears left his eyes. Red rose to his cheeks and it was safe to say it was not just from the cold wind but the warmth he felt inside at the memory as it bloomed in his mind’s eye.

“I can only imagine how that turned out.” Tech smirked back.

“Yeah, he got stuck for two hours. I left to get Kix who was only a few minutes away. He wanted him to stay there until he learned his lesson but promptly went to him anyway. Afterward when Fives re-created the story he would say, ‘remember when you dared me to….?’ So now, I test who I can get to lick a frozen piece of metal.”

“How many have you gotten.”

“More than you’d believe.”

Tech gave a huff of a laugh then was quiet for a second. With what Echo could call an evil grin, Tech said:

“I’ll keep your statistics for you.”

Echo had to return the impish glint. “You can add that one to the list.” He tossed his thumb in Wrecker’s direction. When Tech followed Echo’s line of direction he let out a big sigh. “Honestly, he should know better. Maybe I just have hope my brothers would develop brains but apparently not.” Echo could only laugh.

“Come on, let’s help him, then let’s see if we can get Crosshair.”

—————————

If Echo thought Tech looked mischievous before, the look that came over Tech’s face was positively scheming. “I’m in. Let’s do it. We’ll have to do it just right if we really want to get him. If this works, I’ll need to save it for the future.” and touched the recording button on his helmet.

Echo and Tech approached Crosshair lazily, talking casually to each other. They didn’t want to make him suspicious but his eyebrow was raised anyway. Echo and Tech knew what they had to do to get him so they had to play it just right.

“Hey Cross, come with us!” Tech called to him.

He just kicked his feet up on the bench he was resting on.

“Why.”

“Because, Wrecker got stuck . . .he licked a frozen structure.”

He rolled his eyes but was smirking and got up. “This I have to see.” So he idly strolled behind the two schemers twirling a toothpick in his mouth.

When he got there, and saw Wrecker stuck to the playset he busted out laughing. “Really, Wrecker?” Wrecker only groaned and rolled his eyes.

Tech chimed in. “Wrecker, how quick of a touch was it? I would like to research the results of this if you don’t mind. Perhaps you held it on just too long and that’s why it got stuck. Perhaps if the timing was shorter…”

“Don’t lick the playset too Cross, I don’t think you’ll end up any better than Wrecker here.”

Crosshair sighed and leaned up against Wrecker, cocking his eyebrow again. “Is that a challenge?” He smirked.

“No, just don’t do it.”

“Don’t tell me what to do.”

Tech and Echo discreetly glanced at each other. Echo was fighting every muscle in his face trying not to grin because Cross had taken the bait.

Crosshair immediately did what Tech and Echo thought he’d do. He’d lick the playset to try and one up Wrecker. Try to get out scot free—and do it out of spite. Echo told him not to so he would.

“Perhaps we should go get Hunter?” Tech barely contained his laugh.

——————————

“Hey Hunter, would you lick metal in the cold?”

Hunter raised his eyebrows and placed a hand on his hip. “What are you trying to tell me, Echo? Tech’s amused face is more than enough context to tell me something’s up.”

“Well Hunter, would you?” Echo pressed.

“No, that’d be stupid.”

“At least we have three sensible people on this team.” Tech chimed in happily.

“The real reason we came back early from our walk was…we need help…getting….uh….we need help.” Echo stammered out halfway embarrassed and half proud of himself, trying not to laugh.

Hunter’s face when he saw Wrecker and Crosshair, side by side, tongues stuck to the frozen playset was priceless. No words could describe the absolute shock and second hand embarrassment as he pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut, just hoping that somehow this was some sort of a dream.

“Ok boys, wanna tell me how this happened?”

“Ii wa Ekoo kault!”

————————————

Later on that night, Tech and Echo re-watched the recordings from that day’s event and laughed with each other, clapping each other on the back while Hunter scribbled away. He had to admit, as un-amusing as it was in the moment, it was pretty funny to look back on and it was one for the books.

@shyranno in honor of your cold comic ;)