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It all started when some dumbass alpha villain decided it would be just hilarious to induce some omega heat cycles across all of Los Angeles. To take advantage of any omegas they could get their disgusting hands on. It had become SDN's most out-of-hand conflict since Shroud had been taken down.
There had been reports of a couple of villains spraying some sort of drug in crowded places. When Robert sent Sonar on this mission, he hadn't known the drug was a hormone-inducing spray, targeted at omegas to force them into heat. If he had known, he would not have risked sending his omega boyfriend out there. Robert also hadn't known that more than just “a couple of villains” were out there behind this whole scheme. It was a whole band of criminals with a plan, and it wasn't good.
It was a shitty situation. Sonar had been the only hero in the z-team left available at the time. And Robert thought that Sonar could do this. And he did, he was successful in taking down those evil dickwads. In his beast form, Sonar attacked the culprits and got a hold of the spray cans they were using.
But it was an ambush, and more had appeared with even more of the spray cans. Sonar was able to take them all down, however, before calling for backup to take them all back to the SDN's holding cells.
But now there was a price to pay. They were just lucky it took this long for the hormones to kick in.
Robert should have known something was up with Sonar when he was bringing the culprits into the SDN building. He looked sweaty and off, disappearing quickly after putting the villains away. Usually he would have stuck around and praised himself, he would have enjoyed the cheers for his mission well done. But he didn't this time.
“Hey, uh… Robert?”
Sonar sounded nervous, his voice shaky on the comm. Uh oh. Robert's alpha instincts to protect his omega rushed into his brain. “Yes, Sonar? Is everything alright?”
The silence Robert was met with only lasted a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity as wild what-ifs ran through his mind. Was Sonar injured on the field and didn't tell anybody? Had he come into work sick?
“I don't think I can come in for the rest of the shift.”
“Why not?” Robert sat stiff straight in his desk chair, bracing for bad news.
“I'm feeling sick,” was all the explanation Sonar gave him before he turned off his comm. Fuck.
Robert internally panicked for a moment before deciding to do what he did best. Hack. Robert hunched over his computer stiffly as he typed in various strands of code, until finally he found Sonar's location. He was… still inside the SDN headquarters?
“Hey team, let's take a quick lunch break,” Robert said, not waiting a second to remove his headset and follow the tracker to the lower levels of the building. To a… janitor's closet?
Robert knocked on the door gently. “Sonar? You in there, buddy?” Of course he was in there. The tracker said so, not to mention the overwhelmingly powerful, familiar scent of an omega beginning their heat. But that wasn't right, it wasn't time for his cycle yet.
He heard a groan from the other side of the door, then in a weak voice, “Come in.”
Robert opened the door, quickly stepped inside, and shut the door behind him to save Sonar some privacy.
“Shit, Victor. They got you with the hormone spray?” Robert sat himself down in the makeshift nest his boyfriend had put together. It was made of a blanket, some old rags, and a neck pillow that Robert knew belonged to Blonde Blazer.
Sonar nodded sadly. “I feel so… useless. If some alpha villains can get to me this easily, what good am I really? I couldn't even make it home. I had to settle in here. At least Waterboy said it was okay so I don't think he'll be bothering me. He might ask questions later though.”
“Hey,” Robert wrapped an arm around Sonar's shoulders and gave him a gentle squeeze, in an attempt to calm the racing thoughts going through Sonar's head of all of the problems this situation caused. “You're one of my most sent heroes out into the field. And it's not just because you're my boyfriend.” Sonar huffed out a small laugh at that.
“Yeah. You're right. I just wish it wasn't so easy for alphas to take advantage of omegas.”
“I know. I'm sorry, baby.” Robert pulled Sonar in for a tight embrace. “We'll get through anything that comes our way. We're the Z-Team.”
“That doesn't sound as comforting as you might think it is. But thanks.” he said, wiping a tear from his eye.
Robert nodded. “Now, let's get you some snacks and home to our nice warm nest.”
Sonar frowned. “But what about the rest of the shift? The others need you.”
“My priority is you right now,” Robert said firmly, leaving no room for debate. “You are my number one mission.”
Sonar looked like he was about to cry, and buried his face in Robert's chest. “I love you.”
“I love you too, baby.”
Robert knew that Blonde Blazer would allow a leave for the day after she was debriefed about the situation. “Of course you can go. You need to take care of your omega.” She flashed a smile at him. “Don't worry about the Z-Team. I'll take care of the dispatching today. Focus on Sonar.” Robert returned the smile and gave a quick nod of thanks before hurrying out of her office.
Malevola helped guide Sonar through one of her portals, swiftly and secretly so as to save him the embarrassment of everybody in the branch knowing about his predicament.
“Thanks, Mal.”
“No problem. Just take care of my favorite man bat freak, yeah?”
“Yeah.”
Robert stepped into Sonar's—*their* apartment. It was a very nice apartment. He didn't know how Sonar could pay for it with their paychecks at SDN. But he couldn't think about it too hard; he probably didn't want to know where the money came from. And he was thankful that his boyfriend had let him move in.
Sonar leaned heavily on Robert as he walked the two of them into the bedroom. Robert helped him undress. Being in heat makes omegas sweat like hell; his suit was soaked. As soon as he was bare, Sonar buried himself in the blankets of their nest, aggressively digging into them.
“I'm going to grab some snacks and water. Hang tight.”
Robert walked into the kitchen and headed straight for the ‘Emergency Heat Snacks’ basket Sonar always had prepared. It consisted of spicy pickle chips, cockroach lollipops, and cold brew coffee— a combination that Robert would never understand. He grabbed a pack of bottled waters and carried everything back to the bedroom.
Sonar dug into the basket as soon as he spotted it. He stuffed his choices under the pillows for later, then burrowed deep into the blankets and shuffled around his bat plushies in an attempt to get comfortable despite the heat and dizziness he felt.
Robert huffed a laugh, watching his boyfriend get all cozy in their nest. After a few minutes of Sonar arranging the bed, he was finally content and curled up in the corner. Robert slid in and put an arm around Sonar, gave him a kiss on the forehead, and relaxed himself.
“I've got you, baby. I'm right here,” Robert soothed.
The next few days would take a lot of energy out of them. It was time to rest.