#mechalock

He does not abuse them; he just can’t help his naturally big brown beady eyes and that his default tired expression has the look of a neglected puppy. You know Deadlock is weak to even the slightest hint of a whimper from Beef, and it’s the same for Robert. You would also be blind to see his depressed ass face and not want to do everything in your power to make him feel better. Wait, where was I…

Robert definitely knows. I think he only ever does it on purpose in a playful context, in which he immediately cracks up with a mischievous smirk.

Robert: “You know exercising during your 15 minute break is not exactly how you’re supposed to be spending your downtime?”

“Sugar?” Robert asks.

“Mhm.” Deadlock simply replied, about to lift her hand up to her own cup. Robert smoothly pulled her hand to his lips and kissed the back it.

“Thanks, you always seem to read my mind.”

Flambae turned his head as Visi leaned in to whisper-shout, “See? I told you—just look at them—they’ve totally banged right?! He just called her sugar!”

“Aiye, shit. Finally, huh?” Flambae smirked while he tapped Prism’s shoulder to get her attention. Prism looked up from her phone.

“Took ‘em long enough.” She looked back down, immediately messaging Malevola, wishing that they actually made that bet because she would’ve won the jackpot.

Robert took a sip of his coffee, sweet. He typically drank his coffee black but occasionally liked to put some sugar in it, especially when he’s had a rough morning. Strangely though, he never told Deadlock this. Robert chuckled a little.

“Okay, fine. If I’m Iron Man, you know that would make you Pepper Potts, right?”

Deadlock’s face scrunched up into her usual angry-looking pout. Despite Robert being well familiar with this look, he still struggled to place her actual feelings on the matter. Together, they had accidentally marathon watched all three Iron Man movies late into the night, so it can’t be confusion. And while he understood why she said that, getting compared to Tony Stark was worse; Pepper’s clearly the better half of the two, so it can’t be that either… Ahh, Robert smirked. Embarrassment.

Oh he is definitely her biggest motivator.

It was the worst right after she lost her arm and her sisters as well. Deadlock still struggled with the habit even after joining the Pheonix Program. She was nervous about joining the Z-Team and definitely had a hard time fitting in at first as she was one of the last to join (probably just before Visi did).

She was trying to stop smoking so much but with all of the shitty dispatchers they’ve had so far, and taking those failures personally, it was hard. She had small motivators like the smoking dulling her senses (in the DispatchVerse her powers include having heightened senses) and Visi who suffers from asthma.

When Robert came along it was quite the wake up call. She felt trusted as a person, and gained confidence in her abilities again. While the urges were still there, she found it easier and easier to not smoke. At some point she mentioned trying to maybe even quit all together to Robert and he became her best supporter.

“I know you can do it.”

Deadlock has had those words Robert said burned into her brain. It was probably one of the few times she’s opened up about her habit and even fewer times she’s been encouraged so strongly.