hi dispatch fandom I'm currently writing a one shot for Robert at the moment. is this something
“Now, sir, will that be with cash or credit?”
“Cash, please.” Though he smiles, the expression doesn’t quite reach Robert’s eyes the same way he reaches into his wallet. Skimming through the stack before landing on what must be an adequate 20 bucks, tucking it between his index and middle finger before he hands it over to the cashier.Â
There’s a click as the register pops open, his only means of survival exchanged and lost in the confines alongside a thousand others like it. Shame may not make an appearance in his day-to-day anymore -- not how it used to before the onset dread had finally settled in, kicked its legs up and really made itself at home -- but second thoughts have a nasty habit of revealing themselves when his hands instinctively reach forward to take it back. They retract instantly as the cashier rounds back on him, receipt in hand.Â
He offers another polite smile before he all but dashes out with his items and receipt in hand. Nearly barreling into the automatic door -- which is to say, who the hell makes an automatic door entirely transparent glass? There aren't any clear mechanisms save for the ones beneath it.
Spotless as it is, the cleaners definitely deserving a raise and a nap, it certainly doesn’t help make his day any better. Especially not with the knowing look a random passerby, a lady who’d been shamelessly eyeing his black eye back in the store earlier, flashes him, pitying and condescending all the same. The nerve of some people.
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It's finally posted! Please let me know what you guys think! I'd like to write another chapter for this but I need some feedback :)
Thanks for waiting so long for this fic, I'm gonna try to keep up with updates. I have one additional chapter planned! Thank you guys for the love on the original comics, I really wasn't expecting that!!!
Link to the fic below the cut or find it here.
Prologue Comic Part 1 | Prologue Comic Part 2
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
CaR ramblings! I have two VERY spicy asks sitting in my inbox that I did not forget it's just been A Week. I am gonna get to them hehehehehe
FOR NOW: Flambert origins
This isn't gonna come up in the final chapters I just had fun deciding if Robert would be in a relationship at all, and if so, who, and the reason I chose Flambae--
I will always HC Robert as a beautiful bi disaster™ so imho he could go either way (I even tinkered with giving him a brief fling with Herman but scrapped it lol)
Robert still cut off his fingers in this AU, and he burned off his eyebrows too lmao.
Everything in this AU LARGELY played out the same, except, WITHOUT Waterboy to be there to fight shroud, the fight carried on longer. Even the game glosses over it and turns it into a comic relief point but Herman literally shut down Shroud's mech lmao. He deserved more than a goofy moment but I digress
Anyway. This is where it diverges in my brain. Robert got hurt BAD. He had to get close enough to punch through the cockpit because the only real way to stop Shroud, in the heat of that moment at least, was to rip him out of his mobile weapon. The suit took heavy damage and Robert nearly went into another damn coma.
Now, prior to this, we're still getting all the back and forth between Robert and Chad. The gym scene is where things started to tip a little because, damn, Chad really lovingly patted his head didn't he? The fuck? Thought this guy hated him but now he's wondering if he's just MAD that he has a crush on the dick who kicked his ass.
(he is lmao)
There's no rooftop standoff with him in this version because Robert's suit locked up and he couldn't get out. The employee that beat up Shroud was Chase, who was EXTREMELY upset and itching to indulge in his powers again. I like to think Shroud is in max security, still relearning how to walk, lmao
But Robert got real fucked up and was in the medical wing for weeks. If not for Chase coming in clutch and buying him a window of time when he punched through Shroud's suit, destroying a vital component, Robert would have died.
Chad was VERY pissed about this. The moment Robert woke up that guy was there and it was like he'd been waiting to yell at him. And oh boy did he. Who do you think you are fighting like you're still alone? You fucking idiot. You goddamned bitch. Do you want to die? You hate being alive that much? Your friends not enough for you?
(at this point Robert, mildly high on painkillers, says wryly, "you're my friend?")
And Chad is like.
"YES YOU FUCKING MORON. I'M YOUR FRIEND. AND YOU STRESS ME THE FUCK OUT. I'M ALWAYS WORRIED THAT--" and then he just starts fucking crying.
"You--you--stop looking at me like that you fucking asshole." /DEEP SNIFF/ "Stop smiling! What are you fucking happy you made me think you were DEAD?!"
Robert tries to do a smooth thing and pull Chad into him by his collar but he can't see well what with all the morphine so he squeezes his left pec instead, giggles like a stoner, and shrugs and mumbles, "good enough".
It short circuits Chad's whole nervous system and he's SO FUCKING MAD that this guy is screwing around in such a serious moment and why is he sitting up. Why is he--he needs to rest, this idiot, this fucking idiot what is he--
And that was their first kiss.
Chad still yells at him for being reckless. And Robert will still squeeze a tiddy mid argument. Makes Chad angry-laugh every time and defuses the situation.
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It was no secret that Robert and Chase had a close relationship. Even before the team found out that Chase was Robert's old babysitter, they had picked up on the fatherly energy radiating off of chase when Robert was around. And Robert seemed to give of a more care free, playful attitude when he was with chase. Blazer had noticed it first when she reunited the two. She thought it was the sweetest thing. Chase and Roberts relationship seemed to kick back off where it stopped as soon as they saw each other, despite the time. It just goes to show how strong their bond is.
It was clear in chase's behavior that he was protective of Robert. Even from the first day when he chewed the z team out about making fun of Robert over coms, he's always had Robert's back. Even if Robert himself wasn't offended, chase hated to hear people being rude to his boy. Robert didn't have anyone to keep him safe. God knows his dad didn't. So chase took to looking out for robert. Robert protected the entire city and chase projected Robert.
Robert on the other hand had a deep trust and respect for chase. Chase was always the cool older one. He was Robert's favorite hero as a kid and the best sitter. Robert could come to chase for anything and be understood and taken seriously. Even if that came with being cursed out and a lecture. Despite how stubborn Robert was, chase could always get him to listen.
Robert never went hungry when chase was in the office. Normally when people offered him food, Robert would turn it down. His fear of poison was strong enough to be paranoid about anything not previously packaged, no matter who gave it to him. All except for chase. Chase was always giving Robert money for the vending machines, bringing extra lunch to share, and getting onto Robert about his eating habits. He would get Robert to a healthy weight even if it killed him. Robert was stubborn but he trusted chase's cooking. Chase knew all of Robert's preferences.
Any idea Robert has for the z team is run by chase first. Not because Chase has the authority or want to decide for Robert, but because Robert valued chase's input. Chase has been dispatching for much longer than Robert has anyway. Most of the time chase would bitch at robert to make his own decisions. He wouldn't admit it but Chase loved that Robert looked up to him even as an adult. But chase never decided anything for Robert because he wants him to feel confident in his decisions.
Chase is gradually trying to teach Robert more and more skills. Robert only had chase to teach him when he was younger but once he turned 15, they stopped seeing each other. Becoming mecha man at such a young age and having a neglectful father meant Robert didn't have a lot of time to learn basic adult skills such as cooking and cleaning. So now that they are reunited, chase likes to come over with groceries to cook with Robert. He'll scold Robert for his mess of an empty apartment and instruct him on what cleaners to use. Robert claims to be self sufficient but chase isn't going to stop until his boy's apartment is stocked, furnished, and cleaned. They have already made noticable improvements that even the z team have noticed.
It's no secret that chase and invisigal don't get a long and that Robert's the root of it. Chase didn't care for her even before Robert became a dispatcher but once he started noticing how weird she is with him, he saw red. Anytime invisigal got to close or tried to be alone with Robert, chase would shut it down. It's not that chase cares who Robert dates. He's an adult and can make his own choices for his love life. But Courtney doesn't seem to respect Robert's boundaries and it's concerning how Robert doesn't take it seriously. Chase just wants Robert to feel comfortable in his place of work. And not have to deal with someone following him into bathrooms and changing rooms. Invisigal's been reported to her many times but most of them were made by chase.
Robert still bothers chase for twinkies and to hang out just like he did when he was a kid. Of course he doesn't try to get the older man to use his powers anymore, but he has no problem asking for a dollar for the vending machine. He loves dragging chase to different dinners or parks around town. Robert wasn't able to be close to his own father as a kid and he grew up way to fast in order to be mecha man. He wouldn't admit to needing this but it's a way for Robert to experience the few good parts of his childhood again. Chase bitches about it but he's actually happy to indulge Robert.
The whole team loved to tease their relationship. Any time chase cursed at them for making fun of Robert, they would tease them for it. "Yeah yeah, go run to your dad to defend you". "Oh how dare we make fun of your baby boy chase". It was sweet really, chase was a grumpy old man but he softened for Robert. They had their banter but they truly cared for each other. Chase was like the grandpa of the z team but he was a father for Robert.
Robert has slipped up and called chase "dad" on so many occasions, it's hard to keep count. Robert always corrects himself, not wanting to make chase feel overly responsible for him. And chase always teases him for it. "I'm not your ugly ass father Robert". But deep down they both know the nature of their relationship. Their lack of biological relation didn't matter. Due to the rapid aging, chase never got to think of family planning. And since mecha man was more important, Robert had to grow up without a father. Robert was like the son Chase was never able to have. Chase will always look out for Robert and Robert will forever respect and look up to chase.
He turned toward her and cocked his head. “Why not?”
“I’m not, like, talking shit.” Emma took a large gulp of her mix and shrugged. “I like them. Just seems kind of…inconvenient, for your line of work. Or maybe unconventional is the better word.”
He lit the cigarette, and Emma watched the glow of the lighter cast shadows around his snout. He took a few small sucks to coax the flame to life and then he stuck the lighter back into the pack.
“I loved working in finance,” he said eventually. “I’m really good at it. That’s not me being an asshole, I mean I’m really good at it. It was nice to finally feel powerful like that. To finally feel like what I said and did mattered. I made so much money. And I like expensive shit. I like to feel like when people look at me, they think, Wow, that guy has something I don’t.”
He said it dispassionately, but in that way he seemed to when he was trying to dismiss something that actually meant something to him.
“Besides, wearing the suits, they make me feel like—” He stopped and smoked aggressively. He let smoke billow out his nose, and then said, “Like I’m not half a man.”
Emma turned and frowned at him. “You’re, like, at least seventy-five percent man.”
