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It was a stakeout mission. Not the Bad Batch's favourite type of mission, not when they have to wait to blow the place to ashes. At Least that's what Wrecker says. All they had to do was watch the new separatist base, record their schedule and patrols then report back to Cody because apparently there aren't enough clones to do that so the bad batch got called in.
There wasn't a terminal for Echo to scomp into, not in the centre of a forest of some middle rim planet so he was stuck with Crosshair, Hunter was wrangling Wrecker into sitting still for a few hours. And Echo did not want to get into that. Tech wasn't even in the field, he's back at the ship making repairs, claiming that this mission didn't require his ‘brilliance’. So Echo was sent to partner up with Crosshair, on the side of a cliff because apparently, that was the best viewing spot. ‘Out of the way’ and ‘obsolete’ in Crosshairs words but if you ask Echo it's ‘hot’ and ‘butt fuck nowhere in the forest. But hey, better than sitting in the marauder with Tech pulling their ship apart or trying to get Wrecker not to blow something up.
Crosshair dragged Echo up the hill behind the separatist base for 30 minutes before finding a suitable sport to set up. He could feel the sweat on his body, making his blacks cling to his pale body. After the citadel, Echo couldn't regulate his body temperature as well as the others, normally running a bit colder than room temp but his forest is making Echo sweat half his body weight off. Crosshair was no better, the heat colouring his cheeks red under his helmet. He also runs on the colder side, both of them having cold fingers, god forbid if they stick their cold fingers up one of the other batches' backs when they get bored.
Now begins the fun bit.
Waiting
And waiting
Echo hates these types of missions as well.
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After the first 3 hours lying on their stomachs, switching every hour looking through Crosshairs scope while the other stretchers out, making sure that there's one watching them and occasionally talking to Hunter or Tech or even Wrecker over their comms. Everyone was getting bored and a bit stir-crazy after watching the same metal walls for the past 3 hours.
That was before the first droplets started to fall, then they started to get heavier and before Echo knew it it was full-on pouring. Huffing at the way the mud started to slide underneath his armour, it's not like Echo didn't like rain, it's just that he doesn't like cleaning the mud out of his blacks and armour for the next 3 days. Both clones gave up wearing their helmets about 2 hours ago after their faces felt like they were going to fall off from the heat. Tech said something about it raining before they left but Echo was more focused on trying to land the ship.
“It's raining” Echo spat.
“An astute observation, are you going to tell me the leaves are green too?” Crosshair snarked. Echo couldn't stop the half-assed glare he sent at crosshair, only for him to return his signature snide grin before returning his eyes to the forest before him.
“Aww does our reg not like the rain? Afraid you'll rust?” Crosshair huffs keeping his head glued to his sniper.
“I wouldn't be laughing, you’re lugging me back to the ship”
“I think I could outrun you if your joints rust”
“Leaving me to die in this jungle?” Echo questions with a growing smile.
“With no hesitation rust bucket” Crosshair couldn't stop the smile that sneaked its way onto his face or the quick glance at his brother.
“Guess who's getting haunted. Following you around and whispering in your ear; ‘Shit shot’ ‘a blind bantha could do better” Echo finished with giggles escaping as he got closer to Crosshair's ear just to piss him off, almost climbing on him.
“Prat”
“Wanker” Echo kept whispering at Cross, poking him in the side trying to get a reaction.
Crosshair dramatically groans at Echo's weight, pulling his elbows from under him so he falls flat on the ground, making Echo fall with him. Crosshairs boney elbow makes its way into Echo's side, the breath escapes Echo as he tussles with his younger brother. Crosshair letting go of the sniper to start ticking his older brother's side, enjoying the out-of-breath pleading that Echo half-assed.
Giggles erupt out of each of them, the tussle turned tickle fest leaves them covered in mud and out of breath. Rolling back into their previous positions, neither smile leaves their face even if Crosshairs tries to hide by peering into his scope. Echo may still be new to the batch but playing around with his new ragtag brothers brings back the memories of the 501st.
Echo will ever forget the domino batch, his old battalion but he has a new family he has to look out for and if that means pulling the resident grouch into a tickle attack after hours of lying on the forest floor that's fine by him. Looking over at his younger brother, Echo can feel it in his heart that he would protect them all, he would sacrifice his life if it means they live. Crosshair would call him a self-sacrificial idiot, Tech would lecture all the reasons why that would be stupid, Wrecker would give him the biggest hug and in the sweetest voice ask him not to. Hunter would put a hand on his shoulder like Rex would and wouldn't even have to say anything.
“Ass” that was all Crosshair breathed while Echo kept his shit-eating grin to himself.
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“Echo stop moving” Crosshairs voice suddenly became tight, as his eyes turned to the hill behind him. Locked on the mud and leaves getting pummeled by the rain, the sound of rain hitting plants and the forest floor was all that echo could hear.
Judging by the way Crosshair tensed, he pulled his helmet while handing Crosshairs to him, he reached his good hand down to his blaster, tensing his muscles and getting ready to fight when the moment called for it. What he didn't expect was the rush of mud and plants that came cascading down the hill straight towards them. Crosshair was up in a flash, pulling Echo and his firepuncher with him but Echo couldn't look away from the mudslide.
Panic flushed through Echo and he knew that Crosshair was also panicking, tugging Echo with his as they tried to outrun a mudslide. Admittedly not the smartest thing to do.
“Hunter we have an issue, there's a mudslide and-”
Crosshair was cut off by the mud reaching his feet and sweeping him off his feet, Echo following suit, both falling on their asses and slamming their heads back into the ground. Dazed and filled with adrenaline, Echo tried clinging to Crosshair but the force of the Mudslide forced them apart, pulling each brother away and down into the mud, clawing at the mud to keep his head above the surface.
The mud was much colder compared to the heat of the forest around them, too cold for Echos' preference, too much like the cold of Wat Tambor's medical table.
Scanning around the rushing area Echo found a tree that he could try and grab onto, anything to get out of the mudslide.
But Echo didn't see the log that was behind him, the log caught up to him right before the tree, slamming him into the tree. Crushing his wrist in between his body and the tree at an odd angle, his wrist armour coming off on impact, the sound of his bone snapping and piercing his skin swallowed by the rushing mud around him. Echo couldn't even scream, only a pained wheeze.
Echo couldn't even try to keep above the mud, the pain in his wrist burning throughout his body as the mud made contact with his broken wrist. He could hear the batches' panicked cries in his helmet but his mind was still fuzzy from hitting his head when he fell. His memories jerked to the citadel, and panic surged inside his skull. As Echo lay helpless in the darkness, Wat Tambor stood over his paralysed body, his eyes concealed, analysing the droids' work.
The mud was much like the cold darkness of the citadel, the way numbers and code flowed through Echo's head back then as wires after wires were plugged into his ports that the Separatist had pushed into his blanched skin. Echo couldn't stop the way his mind was thrown back into those days, how the tears that trickled down his cheeks wouldn't stop once he noticed.
But he couldn't afford to think like that right now, he had to get out of the mud and make sure that crosshair was okay. He pushed down the nausea that rocked his stomach and the anxiety and focused on the mission. Like a soldier. Trying to get his erratic breaths under control to try and get himself to safety, Echo used his scomp arm to try and pull himself above the surface, keeping his flesh wrist close to his chest.
Thank the force, another tree was getting closer again, this time the tree was angled down towards the hill, as Echo rapidly approached the tree he prayed to whatever force his general believed in. This time Echo managed to pull most of his upper body up, fighting against the current of the mud trying to drag him back down. Crying out every time his wrist was moved or brushed something, Echo managed to pull his body onto the tree, his mechanical lungs heaving at the feat. His wrist was screaming in pain, the bone had sliced through his skin and blacks, an ugly shade of creamy white, covered in mud and blood that was steadily dripping onto the tree now.
Resting his head against the tree for a moment to calm his ragged breaths, his entire body was shaking and his mind was racing with the pain and scenarios of finding Crosshair's lifeless body after the mudslide. Either suffocated by the mud or impaled by something in the mud that he couldn't see, Echos mind wouldn't leave him alone with the possibility of his brother's death, He didn't want to think about it. He couldn't.
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“Hunter we have an issue, there's a mudslide and-”
Crosshair was cut off by the mud reaching his feet and sweeping him off his feet, Echo following suit, both falling on their asses. Crosshair slammed his head back into the mud, hard enough to make his jaw clack audibly and his vision swim slightly. Dazed and filled with adrenaline, Echo tried clinging to Crosshair but the force of the Mudslide forced them apart, pulling each brother away and down into the mud.
“ECHO!”
Crosshair tried to reach out to his brother but the current of the mudslide pushed them apart, Echo was carried further in front of Crosshair, force dammit, now he's lost the reg. Scanning around trying to find any sort of leverage in the forest, but the rapidly climbing height of the mudslide was making things more difficult.
The rest of the batches' voices swim in the back of Crosshair's head as he tries to concentrate on staying alive, but that was cut short when his leg got caught on plant-like foliage under the mud. Effectively pulling Crosshair under the mud and into the quiet abyss of the mud ocean. He pulled at his leg to free himself, cursing everything and everyone that he has ever had the displeasure of seeing.
This was meant to be a quiet mission.
What the fuck universe.
Only just getting his leg untangled from the plant before trying to swim to the surface of the mud, gulping in deep breaths of humid air. Crosshair didn’t look up in time to see the tree in front of him before his head collided with the tree.
His vision swam with a combination of black dots and a rapidly moving world. Crosshair felt like he was going to throw up before everything faded to darkness. Crosshair knew that he would wake up with a hell of a headache and many broken ribs in the morning. If the reg could get him to safety.
Fuck. he was a dead man.
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Echo tried focusing on something else, finally pulling his head away from the tree to watch the mud rushing past and down the hill, that's when he finally heard the panicked calls over his comms.
“ECHO WHAT'S HAPPENING?”
“CROSS ARE YOU THERE?”
It was Hunter, that much Echo could tell, a relieved cry escaped Echo when he heard his brother's voice. He would take Hunter being scared over not hearing Hunter at all.
“I'm here Hunter” Echo was quiet through the comms, his voice rough from the anxiety that flowed through his body.
“Thank force, Are you hurt? Is cross with you?”
“Cross..?” Echo's voice carried off as he looked out into the mud, trying to spot his separated brother. That's when he saw his brother's helmet floating along the surface of the mud followed by an arm and leg, breathing out a sigh of relief, at least his brother wasn't stuck underneath the mud.
“CROSS”
Echo yelled out to his brother, panic struck through to his core when Crosshair did not respond. No Echo couldn't let this happen, not when Crosshair was under his protection. Crosshair was getting closer with every second, if Echo could time it he could grab Crosshair's wrist and pull him up with him. Echo grimaces at the shape of his wrist. He could tell it was already swelling through his blacks, the bone poking out of his skin while his blood mixed in with the mud
Reaching out his hand, pushing through the pain, he reached and grabbed Crosshair's hand. Almost pulling Echo off the tree he had his legs wrapped around, moaning out in pain and his broken wrist flared in pain. Echo almost lets go in the pain before tightening his grip and pulling his brother to him. Using his scomp arm to pull the rest of his muddy and unconscious brother out of the mud.
Force sake Echo was so done with this mission.
Resting his brother in front of him, Echo scanned his body for any obvious injuries, thanking every god that his brother had no random plants sticking out of him, Echo sagged into his brother. Just resting his head on his breathing chest. He saved this brother, he was okay and breathing.
No brother gets left behind.
“I've got cross, I've got him”
“Good job Echo… Good job” The absolute relief in Hunter's voice made echo sage, even more, it's okay now, they’re no longer separated.
“Are you or Cross hurt?” Tech's voice was urgent, riddled with anxiety as his brothers sat waiting for help in the middle of a mudslide.
“ ‘Got a broken wrist, bones through the skin, Cross is out but nothing obvious but we're on a tree right now. I don't know how long this mudslide is going to last”
“Shit, Tech track Echos signal and find where they are, Wrecker and I will meet you back at the ship”
“Sarg, I love being in the middle of a mudslide as the next person but how do you plan on getting both of us out of here?”
“A rope will do” Tech butted in and Echo immediately knew where this plan was going.
“You want to pull not just me but also a knocked out cross through the air and in the marauder by a rope” Hunter questioned at Echo's bewildered scoff
“Essentially” Tech answered simply.
“We don't have a better plan do we?” Hunter questioned, mulling over the idea.
Echo was too tired to try and even stop this plan, it's not that they had time to wait for the mudslide to finish, not when Echo was injured and Crosshair out.
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And that's how they ended up with Hunter tied to a rope held up by Wrecker in the marauder hovering above their current position. Hunter was gently lowered toward Echo and Crosshairs tree which was rapidly being submerged in mud. Echo managed to prop Crosshair up against him, wrapping his scomp arm around his brother while Hunter managed to get on the tree.
Hunter scanned both of his brothers. Both covered head to toe in mud, Crosshair limp in his brother's arm while Echo just sagged in on himself.
“Show me your wrist”
“It's okay for now Hunter, Get Cross back first before I drop his heavy ass in the mud again”
Hunter could only huff a laugh before holding out his hand waiting for Echo's wrist. Echo just sighed and carefully placed his arm in his brother's open palm, hissing in pain at the contact. Hunter paid extra attention to the way the bone was jutting out of Echo's pale skin, this is going to be a bitch to heal. Especially when it's Echos' only hand left.
“Cross first and then you coming up okay?”
“I thought I could take a swim in the mud first” Echo managed a tired grin on his sarg, pride flaring in his core when he got a small smile out of his worried brother.
“Cheeky little shit you are, stay put for me”
“You got it sarge” Echo gave a mock salute at the words.
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Hunter managed to get both brothers up with no further problem thank force. Once Echo was pulled up, Hunter immediately sat him down in one of their emergency chairs, tending to his wrist as Tech got the marauder into hyperspace and Wrecker got Crossair into his berth and connected to monitors.
Hunter turned his wrist, inspecting the swelling and the bone before grabbing a pair of scissors from the med kit that Echo didn't notice was beside Hunter. Cutting away Echos blacks to see the full extent of his break, the purple and swollen skin around the bone made Echo want to throw up. How Hunter sat there straight-faced truly s\impressed Echo.
“How's the pain”
“Like I put my hand in the marauder's engine”
“So nothing” Hunter tried lightening the mood, anything to get himself out of his own head.
“I will punch you” Echo weakly threatened through a pained smile. Hunter tried to smile at his response before Echo hissed at the contact on his wrist, flinching away from Hunter's hand.
“Tech we need your help”
“Wreck, how's Cross?”
“He's out cold, bruised up and maybe a couple of broken ribs” Wrecker replied, hovering around his brother, Lula tucked carefully under Crosshair's hand. Wrecker the gentle giant is what Echo called him.
“Tech can you have a look after” Wreckers asked, eyes not leaving Crosshair. Tech hummed an affirmative.
“What Happened Echo?” Tech asked when he made his way beside Echo, inspecting his wrist.
Echo didn't know if he was talking about his wrist or the mudslide. Either way, he was too tired to answer, his eyes were beginning to sag as the adrenaline finally stepped out and left tiredness in its wake
“Hey stay with us Echo”
“I'm here” He could only weakly answer, everything else was a blur.
Echo could feel when tech loaded him with painkillers, at least he thought it was tech, he could feel when they cleaned his bone and pulled his arm to force the bone back into his skin. Echo screamed, the pain was the only thing that really kept him lucid when his arm was wrapped and placed into a brace.
———————————————————
It wasn't long before Wrecker set some mattresses on the ground and dragged them all down. Thankfully, Echo was still mostly passed out when he was transferred onto the floor on one of the groups of mattresses from his bunk. Nobody wanted their oldest to suffer anymore.
Tech found a space leaning on Hunter where he could still keep an eye on his brother's symptoms, and Echo was positioned in the centre with Crosshair beside him, Echo weakly wrapped himself in his knocked-out brother. Wrecker made himself comfy around his brothers, allowing them to rest on him if they wished.
As Echos slowly roused from his drugged sleep, he listened to the banter that was floating about the now-quiet room, placid and drained. Echo's body gives in to the tiredness that comes from having to endure hell, and he rolls his head slightly to lay on Crosshair's shoulder. Being surrounded by his brothers made him feel secure. Someone started to message Echo's head around his ports as he gently drifted off again
Let's just say Echos doesn't like the forest anymore.