Work Text:
There were a lot of things Echo has heard from people about his position with the Bad Batch. Nearly all of it, he could ignore. That he didn’t deserve to be there. That he would hold them back. That he wasn’t good enough. That he was a defect, so maybe he belonged with the other defects, but he wasn’t nearly as badass as they were. That one bothered him just because his team weren’t defects. He could give less of a damn what anyone, even vod’e thought of him, but insult his team and he was ready to fight you.
There was one comment he got that pissed him off the most, though. And it happened all the time. What made it worse, was that it was said as if he should be thankful for hearing it. Which only served to piss him off more. He quickly got to the point that, no matter how it was meant, hearing he was lucky to be part of the Bad Batch filled him with nothing but rage.
The first time he had heard it, he thought that it had been meant in a ‘woah, you’re lucky someone like you is in a team like them!’ way. He hadn’t argued, because he was. His team was amazing. But, no. No, that wasn’t at all what they had meant. And it took a natborn clarifying what he had been trying to say for Echo to realize just how horrific that sentence was.
Whenever most men, a horrific amount of shiny vod’e included, told him he was lucky to be a member of the Bad Batch, they weren’t saying he was lucky to have such a wonderful team. They were saying he was lucky to be surrounded by such beautiful women. Worse, they were saying it because they assumed he was sleeping with said beautiful women. And of course, it was a miracle that someone like him had managed to catch the attention of even one of them , let alone four.
When the comments started, Echo hadn’t been with any of the team romantically. And had been horrified on their behaves that someone would think they would stoop to fucking the weird cyborg they had picked up. He was also horrified that someone would sexualize them just because they had breasts. They were far more than just gorgeous. They were smart, talented, formidable. They were soldiers of the Republic and deserved to be treated with respect!
Then, somehow, their attention had turned romantic. And when Echo finally let himself believe that it was real, that they didn’t pity him or see him as convenient, and admitted that yes, he was also very romantically attracted to them as well, his disgust at those comments only grew. Because the more in love with his team he was, the skeevier those comments sounded. He didn’t need to defend their honor; they were perfectly equipped in doing so themselves. But that didn’t mean he didn’t demand them receive the respect they deserved. From inside the GAR and out of it.
Those sorts of comments only grew with the rise of the Empire and their subsequent fleeing of the military. Ord Mantel was not exactly a place full of virtuous people. On nearly a daily basis he was forced to hear someone's comments that made his skin crawl. And made him want to slam his metal fist into their faces. Not that he ever would, no matter how great the urge, or how vile the remark.
“Damn, a cyborg like you gaining a gal like that? Geek or not, she’s a killer.”
“What's a blonde knockout like her doing fucking around with a man who is part machine?”
“Hell, that lady can bench press you and you’re made of metal! Sex must be fun!”
“Only one real hand to appreciate tits like that? Fuck can’t tell if you’re lucky or cursed.”
With each and every one of them uttered to him in the same nasty tone of voice, Echo desire to punch the offender’s teeth out grew. But he continued to just ignore them as pointedly as he could. He never replied. Never even acknowledged them. Most of the time, he just pretended that they didn’t exist and walked away. None of the sleaze was ever said to him where the others could hear, and that's all that mattered. They didn’t deserve to hear how objectified they were. And on a more selfish level, he would much rather them not be reminded of how much he fell short.
Of course, he couldn’t keep the comments from them forever. Especially not when Hunter had advanced hearing the disgusting men didn’t know about. Advanced hearing that Echo somehow forgot about himself. And desperately wished he hadn’t.
He and Hunter were out in the markets trying to find something for the team to eat that wasn’t that damn Mantel Mix Omega and Wrecker were obsessed with. They got distracted though by a new weapons vender, one that was sporting some very lovely knives Echo couldn’t have tried to drag Hunter away from if he wanted to. While she was entranced by her deadly obsession, Echo mindlessly looked over the selection of rifle add-ons in front of him. At least, he did until the vendor pulled his attention away.
“So, how much she cost?”
Echo’s head snapped up, eyes moving from the vendor down to his own blasters at his waist. He wasn’t going to tell this guy they were GAR issue and better than ninety percent of his merchandise, so instead just asked, “Excuse me?”
To Echo’s shock, and horror, he nodded towards Hunter. “The gal. She’s the prettiest thing I’ve seen in several rotations. Clearly, far too hot for you. So, she’s an escort, right? Did she cost a pretty credit? I can imagine so.”
Echo made a sound that could only be considered a hiss and glared at him. “Hunter is not an escort, nor is she for sale. Back off.”
The man snorted. “Sure, she isn’t, son. A sexy lil thing like that? With you? No one is that lucky.”
He was seconds away from baring his teeth and telling him not to talk about his girl like that, but Hunter was suddenly right there. He had almost forgotten how close she was. As she suddenly appeared at his side, he gave her a small smile.
“Find one?”
“No," she looked pointedly at the vendor, "none of these are worth anything. Let's go.”
He frowned, confused because they were all clearly high quality, but allowed her to lead him away from the stall. He assumed she just hadn’t seen any that had appealed to her. At least, until he caught sight of her face.
The scowl across her gorgeous features could only be considered furious and with dawning horror he remembered her senses. They were more than close enough for her to have been able to hear what that slimy bastard was saying about her. No wonder she hadn’t wanted to purchase any of his merchandise.
“I’m sorry that guy being such a creep to you stopped you from getting a new knife.” he told her softly. “Maybe there's another stall somewhere nearby that is not run by a pervert.”
She stopped walking abruptly, causing him to stumble and miss a step as he halted himself. He turned to give her a questioning look, one that grew as he saw her expression had turned from angry to alarmed.
“You think I’m mad because he was a sleaze about my looks?” she hissed out. “Echo, most men are gross. That’s nothing new! I hear it all the time.”
“Wait, you’ve heard all those comments!?” he gasped, horrified that she had been hearing all the nasty things men said to him about her and the others.
“What. Comments.”
It wasn’t a question. It was a demand for him to speak and he was doing so before he even had a conscious thought.
“When they sexualize the four of you. Tell me how lucky I am to be around you, that you pay attention to me. Which is right of course! But they don’t need to be saying such crude things about your bodies and persons. You’re much more than just gorgeous, and I am so sorry that you’ve heard all the disgusting things they think it's okay to get away with saying.” he looked down to his boots and added, “And I’m even more sorry I haven’t put them in their places.”
“People talk to you like that man just did often?” she asked in a hoarse whisper.
His shoulders curled in, and he nodded. “Yeah. Uh, every time I go anywhere with one of you someone always says something. Especially here. It's so commonplace here that I’ve had to ignore them, or I’d start a brawl. Figured it was better to not cause problems. But I’m sorry I haven’t been telling them to fuck off.”
“Echo, I don’t give a shit what that man was saying about me. Pervs are just gross, they don’t matter. I’m mad because he was insulting you.”
He looked up to meet her eyes, a frown on his face. “What? No, he wasn’t.”
“Yes, he was.” she said slowly, as if he couldn't understand her.
“No. He wasn’t.” he replied just as slowly with a growing frown. “Are you sure you heard the same conversation I did?”
“Sure, she isn’t, son. A sexy lil thing like that? With you? No one is that lucky.” she mocked in a far too perfect imitation of that man. “He is very clearly saying that I wouldn’t date you for your own merits. That you had to resort to buying me. It's an insult.”
“To you.”
“No, Echo. To you . He was claiming that you weren’t worth my time unless you were paying for it. That for me to want to be around you, you had to offer me something more than just who you are.”
“I know what an escort is, Hunter.”
“I know you do!” she exclaimed. “What you seemingly don’t know is that he was saying you weren’t good enough for me. He was insulting you.”
“Oh.” he shrugged. “Oh, no. I knew that. I agree with that. Where he went wrong is insinuating that you would sell yourself. You’re more than a body, Hunter, and he should respect you. So, did you want to go find a knife somewhere else?”
She stared at him, her mouth slightly agape for a long moment before sadly shaking her head and with a sigh said, “No. No, let's just go find dinner.”
“Okay. And I promise to say something next time it happens.”
“To one of us, right?”
He shrugged. “Sure. I know you’re more than capable of defending your own honors. And it would be fun to watch Cross punch one of these sleemos in the face.”
She muttered something that sounded like, ‘we’d rather defend yours’, but he was pretty sure he heard wrong, so he paid it no mind. Really, he managed to forget that the entire interaction had happened. At least until Cid came to them with a truly asinine mission.
“Listen up, I have a perfect, very easy assignment for you lot.”
“Nothing you say is easy is ever actually easy.” Crosshair drawled from where she was laying across the bar and mindlessly throwing darts into the bullseye. “Someone is always injured, or we fail because it's literally impossible without dying. We had a hundred percent success rate before your so-called easy missions.”
“Oh, hush up Toothpick. This one really is easy. All you have to do is go to a party.”
“I have no desire to go to a party.” Tech said from her seat on a bar stool at Crosshair’s hip, not turning her gaze away from her data pad. “They are loud and overly crowded. Besides, I greatly doubt that ‘going to a party’ is all that this would entail.”
“Well, and stealing from a true scumbag.”
“Of course.” Crosshair snorted.
“I want to go to a party!” Omega cheered.
“Ah, sorry Tiny. This would be a ‘grown-ups only’ party.”
“What does that mean?” Wrecker asked with a frown. “What does a ‘grown ups only’ party include other than, uh, that.”
“Not sending you to a sin din, Muscles.” Cid said with a snort. “It's a gala.”
“What's a gala?” Omega asked eagerly.
“It is a party, generally a very expensive one, where you would be required to dress in fine clothing and likely dance complicated, sophisticated dances.” Tech replied. “And though it is less rowdy than other sorts of gatherings, I still have no desire to attend one.”
“Tough luck, Goggles. All five of you need to go.”
“Why?” Hunter asked, crossing her arms with a narrowed gaze. “Wouldn’t it make more sense for two of us to go? Echo and I could do this without making the other three do something they aren’t the most comfortable with.”
“No can do, Bandana. You all need to go. The society this particular scumbag is part of thinks that the more women a man has with him, the more power he possesses. Gotta make 'em think Killjoy here is more powerful than even the host. Thus, all flour of you have to go with him.”
They all stared at her for a long moment, but Echo shook his head. “Your plan won't work, Cid. Even though it's true, no one in a society like that is going to believe that they’re with me completely willingly. We’ll be questioned before we’re even in the door.”
“Don’t get your panties all bunched up, we’ll clean you up nice.”
“Wait, hold on. Back up.” Crosshair demanded as she sat up. “What the hell does that mean, Echo?”
He blinked over at her. “Uhm, there isn’t a hidden meaning? People question how I got with you four all the time. Of course, they are going to question it at a party like this.”
“What do you mean, all the time ?”
He glanced over to Hunter pleadingly, suddenly remembering that she had actually heard one of the many questioning comments. Hunter sighed and nodded.
“I heard a shopkeeper ask Echo if I was a paid escort because there was no way he could have gotten me on his own.”
“And he’s still alive?” Crosshair demanded harshly.
“Cross, c’mon, even Hunter wouldn’t kill someone for sexualizing her. I mean, I wanted to. I always want to when people say stuff like that about you, but I’m not going to. And Hunter isn’t that feral.”
“I don’t care about the escort comments!” she snapped. “I care that this asshat, and many others, have been insinuating that you are in any way undeserving of us.”
“Crosshair, look at you.” he ordered, waving his metal hand to encompass her tall, willowy form. “And then look at me. It makes no sense. Of course, those people are questioning it. They should just do so without acting like the four of you are meals to salivate over.”
“You’re pretty, Echo.” Omega piped up, reminding him that they really shouldn’t be having this conversation with her in the room. “Just like they are.”
“Yeah, yeah you can have your pity party later, Killjoy. Like I said, gotta clean you up. Clean you all up. This is a payday you don’t want to pass up.”
“It isn’t going to work,” he insisted.
Tech, to his surprise and confusion, shook her head. “Actually, I believe that Cid may be correct. It does not sound difficult. And if the pay out is truly worth it?”
“It is.” Cid said firmly.
She nodded to her and continued with, “Then I do not see the harm in attending this gala and stealing whatever it is Cid is requesting. It certainly sounds simple.”
“You didn’t want to go five seconds ago.” Echo pointed out with a slightly skeptical frown.
“And I have changed my mind.”
Echo looked desperately between the other three, but they all seemed to be suddenly gung-ho for this ludicrous plan. There was clearly nothing he could do to change their minds, so he sighed and resigned himself to his fate.
When Cid agreed to front the bill to get them all outfits, even Tech became a little animated at the idea of dressing up. Especially when Omega got incredibly excited at the prospect of makeup and fancy clothes. She didn’t even seem to care any more that she wasn’t going on the mission. She was just excited to help them dress up.
Something Echo really, really didn’t want to do. No matter how high quality and attractive the suit he got was, it wouldn’t change the fact that this plan wasn’t going to work. Echo was Echo and the other four were gorgeous. No one was going to believe they were his girlfriends. Especially not in a place like this. Or with them looking like that .
All four of them could easily have been holovid models. Wrecker looked like literal sunshine covered in golden flowers, a red rose hair band holding her hair to the left side of her head. Tech seemed to be made of fire, the flowing dress fading from pale peach to a burning scarlet, an equally red hawk pin pinned in her hair. Crosshair was far too alluringly attractive, the black silk she wore enticingly displaying her back and the sides of her breasts in a way that Echo was sure was illegally inviting. The long braid that hung down her back didn’t at all helps as it only drew the eyes to her exposed expanse of skin. And Hunter, who wore a dress that had a slit high enough to display her entire leg tattoo, was far too painfully beguiling. The way her curls were piled onto her head so just one strand fell down to rest across her chest was tantalizing to distracting levels. They were all captivating. And Echo looked like someone shoved a bunch of metal and wires into a suit.
He was thankful that at least he had a hand. If Tech hadn’t made him the beautiful silver hand, decorated with blue and red gem like joints, he’d still be stuck with only a scomp arm. And he would feel even more like an imposter placed inside of a far too small skin. As it was, putting high quality pants over his metal legs felt like he was committing some sort of horrible crime. He didn’t know why he had even agreed to buy the stupid top hat. It wasn’t like he could wear it with his headpiece anyway.
Echo should have known that Tech would once again find a way to help him feel more comfortable, as well as comfortably wear the excessive accessory. Especially in this instance. Despite knowing that Tech loved nothing more than to help all of them in any way she could, he was still surprised when she ordered him to sit on the bar stool before her.
“Uh, why?” he asked even as he did so.
“I have something that I hope will make you feel more comfortable with the mission.” she explained. “Would it be okay if I removed your headset?”
“Uhm, yeah of course but I won’t be able to hear anything.”
“That is what these are for.” she said, brandishing a small container. “I have made hearing aids for this evening that should hopefully suffice in assisting your ability to hear. They won't do anything to help with the sensory overload or electric waves you pick up, but for the short time you need to wear them, they should be just fine.”
“Thank you, Tech.” he told her in a soft, near whisper. “You didn’t have to go through the effort.”
“I love you. Of course, I did.”
“I love you too.” he replied in the same whisper. “And I don’t tell you how much I appreciate you near enough.”
“You do not need to. I know.” she assured him as she finished swapping his head set out for the hearing aids. “How do those feel?”
“They feel okay.” he assured her. A little weird, but not bad. And he could hear surprisingly well. “And your voice isn’t distorted or anything either.”
“That is good.” She beamed at him and then situated the top hat on his head. “You look very handsome, Echo.”
He flushed and ducked his head. “Not nearly as beautiful as you look, Tech. I love the clip, and the glasses. They suit you.”
Tech’s cheeks darkened as well as she lifted a hand to push the slim rectangular frames up her nose. “Thank you, Echo. I felt as if something less clunky than my customary goggles was necessary to fit in.”
“You look amazing no matter what eyewear you have on.”
“And you are a sweet talker.”
“Nah, he’s right!” Wrecker insisted, draping her arm over Tech’s shoulders. “We’re all sexy and everyone at that party is gonna be jealous!”
“You all look so good!” Omega exclaimed excitedly. “I’m glad you did the eyeliner, Echo! Your eyes really pop!”
He blushed again. Adding the bit of black on his eyes had been impulsive. But seeing the way Crosshair’s violet eyes stood out with the crimson surrounding them had made him curious. Omega was right, too. It really did make his eyes stand out. Something he could admit was a nice confidence boost.
“Thank you, Omega. Glad you think so.”
She beamed and then asked eagerly, “Can we take a holo? You all look so pretty; we need to have a memento!”
Hunter gave her a small smile and nodded. “Sure, kid. We can take a holo.”
Omega squealed happily and tugged on Hunter’s hand, guiding her to the bar where Echo and the other three were positioned. Somehow, she got Cid to take a quick holo of the six of them before the Trandoshan more or less shoved them out of the parlor. Echo was pretty sure she would have bodily thrown them off planet too if she could.
The flight to their target’s homeworld wasn’t long by any stretch, but it was still enough time for Echo’s anxiety to once more begin to ramp up. He would have been a vibrating mess if it weren’t for Crosshair’s long, red painted nails lightly running along his scalp. Even with that bit of stimulus, had his legs not been metal he had no doubt they would have been frantically bouncing.
He was just far too worried to mess this mission up before it even started. Cid had explained that this man had ‘earned’ his fortune on the backs of others. That he had a militia of violence loving soldiers who happily pillaged, stole and enslaved from peaceful, but wealthy, planets. The Republic had refused to help the terrorized planets. And if possible, the Empire cared even less. While they were just there to rob this scum, Echo wished fervently that they were really just there to stop him from hurting others.
Another reason this mission made him anxious. He didn’t want to just steal his ill-gotten credits, he wanted to free every single enslaved person there. Especially the ones this culture considered ‘empty status lovers’. Meaning the women men paraded around that were there because they had no other choice. The women who were forced into what was more than likely sexual slavery. It made his skin literally itch that there was nothing he could do to help them. Not without endangering himself or the ones he loved.
As the Marauder descended into the atmosphere, his tension racketed up to an insane level. Crosshair’s soft touch of his hair shifted as his shoulders tightened, her hand sliding down to grip his chin and gently turn his head so their eyes met.
“You have nothing to fear.” She said bluntly. “We are luckier than we can express to have a man like you, an honest, courageous, beautiful man in our lives. There is no question we belong together, and if anyone tried to take you from us, they would be dead before they knew what was happening.”
“What Crosshair said.” Hunter agreed as she sat down on his other side, hand immediately reaching out to take his. “You are the best partner any of us could ever ask for. You complete us. Never, ever doubt that.”
He blinked away the lovesick tears their words threatened to cause and pulled first Crosshair and then Hunter into passion filled kisses. When his mouth left Hunter’s she gave him a sly grin.
“None of those bastards who doubt you could even begin to hold a candle to how amazing you are. They certainly couldn’t fuck me as well as you do.”
He turned bright red and ducked his head. As he did so, Crosshair leaned forward and pressed her lips to the back of his ear to say, “Or obey me as well as you do.”
“You’re both awful.” he mumbled as his cheeks only grew darker.
“You love us.” they said together, and he nodded.
“Of course, I do. Doesn’t make you any less awful.”
The ship had come to a full stop as he turned into a walking tomato, and Wrecker chose that moment to walk into the back of the ship.
“Awe, did I miss a tease Echo conversation?” She playfully whined and he sent her an unimpressed look.
“Actually,” Crosshair corrected. “You missed a ‘remind Echo how amazing he is’ conversation.”
“Even worse! Echo, you’re wonderful! I love you!”
He beamed and stood, leaning up to place a loving kiss on her lips. “I love you too, Wreck.”
“Good! Now, you guys ready to get this party started?!”
“Started and ended.” Tech agreed. “I would like to get out of this dress as soon as possible.”
It was a sentiment Echo was sure they all agreed with. Despite not being used to wearing clothing like this, he had to admit that the sudden surge of confidence he had from his loves’ words was amplified by the thought of how he knew these clothes would have made him look before Skako. Confident. Eye catching. Handsome. The suit would have made him a knockout, and he knew it.
So, it was that confidence he tapped into as they entered their bastard of a target’s oversized manor. And it worked. Every eye in the overly decorated, painfully bright entrance hall was suddenly fixated on them. Not in alarm, disgust or even disbelief. But awe, envy and even respect.
The attention was, well, it was a confidence boost. And not just for him. Wrecker grinned, her arm reaching around Crosshair to drape over Echo’s shoulders. Hunter eagerly wrapped her arm around Echo’s and beamed up at him. Crosshair reached her hand up to once more tangle in his hair. And as Tech on the other side of Hunter handed their hacked ticket to the doorman, she leaned down to whisper in his ear.
“See. I told you so.”
He laughed and smiled up at her. She had. They all had. And with their confidence and love soaking into him, he knew without a doubt that they could complete this mission. And that it would be the easiest, possibly most fun, mission they had ever had.
