Bad Batch Tech Daily Oneshots

Returning The Favor

Tech nodded. "It was my pleasure. Surely was one of the easiest tasks of the day..." Suddenly he yawned, and Hunter came over to him to take the contained bug from him. He handed it over, and Hunter said something, but it didn't register in the brainiac's mind. Instead he just saw Hunter leaving Omega's room, heading with the others down the hall. Tech instinctively shambled after them.

Everyone met in the cockpit as Hunter began giving a rundown of the plan for their current mission. Tech stood in the entryway. However, as Hunter was explaining, Tech found himself struggling more and more to pay attention. He knew he had a tendency to become hyperfocused and tune out things around him, but this was different. He had nothing to distract him, and yet nothing that Hunter was saying sunk in. He leaned a little into the frame of the entryway, resting his helmet-covered head against the wall. Even the little bit of relief from no longer having to hold his head up felt good.

"... so we'll have to be careful," Hunter was saying, his eyes going between each of the Bad Batchers. His eyes met Tech's, and stayed on him a moment longer than the others before his attention went to Wrecker. "Wrecker, you're going to be our distraction."

Wrecker whooped. "I can do that!" he exclaimed. "As long as I get to blow stuff up, I'm happy!"

"Echo and Tech, we're going to need you both to get in," Hunter instructed, although Tech couldn't recall where they were supposed to even break into. He forced himself to stifle another yawn, internally puzzling over why it was so hard to think straight.

"Hey Tech," came Omega's little voice and Tech gazed down at her, his eyelids feeling heavy. The girl was frowning up at him. "Are you okay? You don't look so good."

Tech waved a hand limply in a dismissive fashion. "'M fine..." he replied, his voice slurring before he shook his head, pushing himself off the frame he had been leaning against. "Just a little tired is all. It is nothing I cannot handle."

He noticed everyone's eyes suddenly were only him and he froze. "What?" he asked, his voice finally coming out as clear as he meant it to.

"Were ya poisoned or something?" Wrecker asked, scrunching up his face in confusion.

Tech narrowed his eyes a bit in his own bewilderment. "What? Of course not. I'm fine," he insisted, his tone more snappy than he had intended.

Now Echo chimed in. "Tech, how long did you sleep last night?"

Tech stared at him. "I... did not sleep. I was too busy with fixing the-"

"You didn't what?!" Wrecker suddenly cried, his booming voice cutting Tech off. 

Tech winced, then slowly reiterated, "I did not get any sleep the previous night. Or the night before that, now that I think about it."

Hunter furrowed his eyebrows. "That's why you were already in your armour so early in the morning," he concluded, pointing a finger at Tech accusingly. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"I was intending to get to that," Tech explained, some annoyance entering his tone. However, arguing just made him feel even more exhausted and he leaned against the doorframe again. "But that... was before the insect... crisis," he said, his voice trailing off into a slurred mutter as his eyes grew heavy.

"You should get some sleep," Omega advised him gently, grabbing his hand and moving it to drape his arm over her shoulder. His arm moved with no resistance, limp with his exhaustion. Tech mumbled an objection, but between his helmet covering his head and the way he was muttering under his breath, his words did not reach the others. Omega tugged at his arm. "Come on, Tech," she said, pulling him in the direction of the barracks on the ship. Tech could faintly hear Hunter discussing changes to the plan with Wrecker and Echo as Omega dragged him down the hall.

"The mission..." he managed, squinting sleepily and dragging his feet across the floor. "What about the mission...?"

Omega looked him dead in the eyes. "You won't miss anything. I'll make sure of it, okay?" she assured him, helping him over to his bed. He practically flopped backwards down on it, immediately feeling the crushing gravity weighing on his body. Omega tried to supress her giggles, but some slipped through anyways. "Are you sure you want to sleep in your armour?" she asked him somewhat teasingly. 

His chestplate heaved with a deep sigh before he mumbled out another slurred response. Within his helmet, his eyelids were drooping, threatening to close.

Omega took hold of his helmet, pulling it off his head and setting it on his bed in an empty spot by his feet. Then, she grabbed his pillow and tucked it under his head, stepping back as she smiled at him. "There! How's that?" she asked him.

A ghost of a smile came over Tech's face before his eyes drifted closed at last. Breathing steady, relaxed breaths, Tech was out in a matter of seconds. Omega smiles proudly and quietly crept away to let him sleep in peace.

When Tech awoke hours later, he stirred, eyes opening slowly as he took in his surroundings. He could feel the weight of the armour he was wearing still on him, but something was tucked in the crook of his arm. He turned his head on the pillow to look, seeing a familiar plush loth-cat settled between his body and his arm. He smiled, a soft chuckle escaping him. "Hello Lula," he quietly greeted the plush. Then he sat up, his body feeling refreshed and well before getting up and going to find the others.