Chapter Text
Rain hammered against the windows of SDN, but Robert Robertson barely heard it.
The dispatcher sat alone in the control room, illuminated only by the glow of computer monitors and blinking status lights. Mission reports covered one side of his desk while empty coffee cups occupied the other. His eyes burned. His shoulder hurt. His head hurt. His knee hurt.
That wasn’t unusual.
Pain had become part of daily life years ago. Most people would have sought treatment. Most people weren’t Robert.
A message flashed across the monitor
MISSION SUCCESSFUL
Robert immediately began sorting reports. Damage assessments, witness statements and expense forms the endless stream of paperwork that followed every mission of z teams. His fingers moved automatically across the keyboard. He didn’t need to think anymore. After only months of doing this, dispatch work had become instinct.
Outside the dispatching room, voices echoed through headquarters. Some of the Z-Teamers had returned.
Robert didn’t look up.
The elevator doors opened. Footsteps approached. Laughter, conversation. The sounds of people who actually had lives outside of work.
Robert continued typing.
The door opened and Flambae entered first. The fire-powered former villain looked like he’d just won the lottery which, considering the grin on his face, he practically had.
“We got the guy.”
“Congratulations.”
Robert didn’t look up from the report.
Flambae rolled his eyes.
“You know, normal people usually say thanks.”
“I’m not normal people.”
“That is unfortunately true.”
Robert snorted despite himself. The sound surprised both of them.
Behind Flambae came Sonar. The bat hybrid adjusted his tie as he entered his large ears twitched, pure white eyes swept across the room.
Robert immediately regretted looking up.
Because Sonar was looking at him.
Not talking, not asking questions. Just looking.
Robert hated that.
People had started doing it more lately,Watching. Like they were waiting for something Or noticing something.
It made his skin crawl.
“What?”
Sonar blinked.
“What?”
“You’re staring”
“I wasn’t.”
“You were.”
“I wasn’t.”
Robert pointed at him “You absolutely were.” Sonar looked away.
Which was basically an admission of guilt robert thought as he returned to his work. Conversation over, At least he hoped so.
The rest of the team filtered through SDN People talked, laughed, and discussed the mission. Robert listened with half an ear while sorting paperwork.
The strange thing was that he remembered when he used to join conversations.Years ago, back when he still had the energy.
Now he mostly listened.
Eventually the room emptied. One by one, everyone went home. The building grew quieter, then quieter still. Hours passed, Robert barely noticed. The clock reached eleven he needed to get home to feed beef only then with that thought did he finally stand. Every joint, muscle and bone protested.
Robert ignored it.
He always ignored it.
The lights automatically shut off behind him as he left SDN
Nobody noticed.
Nobody was there to notice.
The city was nearly empty.
Rain poured from the sky, and streetlights reflected off wet pavement in long streaks of gold and white.
Robert shoved his hands into his pockets and walked.
His apartment wasn’t far away. That was intentional. He couldn’t justify spending money on a nicer place when he was barely there not when he had drained every last cent into Mecha man, most days were spent at the SDN branch.
The apartment was somewhere he slept, Nothing more. By the time he reached the building, his clothes were damp. The hallway lights flickered overhead. The elevator was broken as always
Robert took the stairs.
Finally he reached his door.
The lock clicked, The door opened.
A bark immediately echoed through the apartment.
A small shape sprinted across the floor.
Robert smiled.
A genuine smile this time.
“Hey, Beef.”
The chunky dogskidded to a halt before launching himself at Robert’s leg despite weighing roughly the same as a bowling ball.
Robert bent down and picked him up.
Beef licked his chin enthusiastically, “Yeah. Missed you too.”
The dog wagged his tail furiously.
Robert scratched behind his ears.
For a few seconds, things felt almost normal, Then the feeling passed.
The apartment was exactly as he had left it.
A kitchenette.
A garden chair.
bathroom.
Nothing else.
No evidence that anyone lived there except a dog.
Most people would have considered it depressing
Robert preferred not thinking about it at all.
Thinking about it tended to lead places he didn’t want to go.
He set Beef down. The dog immediately wandered toward his food bowl.
Robert dropped his keys onto the counter.
The metallic sound echoed through the room.
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Familiar.
His phone buzzed.
He ignored it.
Another, Ignored.
Another.
Robert looked at his phone, chase he could wait.
The messages weren’t going anywhere. Neither was tomorrow, Unfortunately.
Robert sat down in the garden chair, plastic creaked beneath him the chair wasn’t comfortable that wasn’t why he used it.
His gaze drifted across the room.
Blank walls.
Empty floor.
Nothing.
The apartment felt less like a home and more like a waiting room Somewhere temporary.
Somewhere unfinished.
Somewhere nobody was meant to stay long.The realization bothered him, he pushed it away. Like always.
Beef climbed into his lap and curled into a ball. Robert absentmindedly scratched behind his ears as he settled down. Beefs eyes drifted shut.
Lucky.
Robert wished sleeping was that easy.
Outside, thunder rolled.
Inside, exhaustion settled over him.
His eyelids felt heavy he, hadn’t slept much recently. Not because he didn’t want to, but
because every time he tried, something weighed on him work, nightmares, memories.Always something.
Eventually exhaustion won.
His head leaned back against the chair.
The room slowly faded.
Darkness followed.