Sonar knows Spanish and Korean. Spanish because he had a Spanish nanny, Korean because of his paternal grandmother.
He had white fur as a baby which darkened into his grey fur. As a baby and early childhood he resembled his mom except for his snout but would grow into resembling his father. Sonar’s mom is a fruit bat hybrid and his dad is a vampire bat hybrid.
His parents divorced when he was 10, with his dad gaining full custody. That man wasn’t going to be losing his son to nobody, didn’t matter if he had to pay off a couple officials to ensure it. Last time he saw his mom was the day the divorce was finalized.
Description: Even heroes have days they shouldn’t have gone out.
Tink tink tink. It feels like that simple sound has followed him all day. Starting from that morning, as the rain pitter patters along his apartment building’s stairwell railing. Tucking Beef into his coat as to keep the pup dry, Robert opens the pink and blue bi-colored umbrella Prism had given him before heading out into the downpour before him. Never has he been more thankful to live near work than he was today. The foul weather has been exasperating his chronic pain since he woke up. A bit of doubt growing in the back of his mind on whether he should’ve brought his crutches today let alone if he should be going on patrol.
The sound of a throat clearing brings him out of his thoughts, muttering a quick thanks to the stranger for holding the door as he enters the SDN building. Closing his umbrella and tapping it on the mat by the door to hopefully help reduce the amount of water that’s going to be trekked inside. By the time he reaches Blazer’s office, Beef is wiggling around restlessly in his confines. Carefully, Robert undoes his jacket and sets his dog onto the ground before knocking on the door. From inside he hears Chase and Blazer call out for him to come in. Upon opening the door, the rotund dog makes a dash over toward the older man.
“Morning, I’m guessing you two are still figuring out the custody schedule?” Robert asks at seeing Mandy in an SDN uniform and Chase in his new Star Blazer hero suit with a calendar resting in the desk between them.
“Oh, no. We’re just making some minor updates for this month,” Mandy explains.
“That’s putting shit lightly. Corporate just emailed about wanting the blonde version to attend a shit ton of glorified meet and greets. They just love fucking up with plans don’t they, Beef? Yeah, they do.” Chase complains, cradling Beef in the crook of his arm as he rubs the dog’s belly.
“Yeah, I don’t envy that.” Robert says as he grimaces at the memory of his last press conference, “Well, I’m just stopping by to leave Beef with Mandy before going out on patrol.”
“He’ll be in good hands,” Mandy reassures him.
“Hey, maybe they’ll pair our asses together.” Chase chimes in.
“That be great. I’m going to go get suited up, see you out there Unc. Thank you again Mandy for babysitting,” Robert says as he leaves the two heroes in the office.
Weaving his way around the bustling dispatchers as he makes his way to the locker rooms. The locker lined room is filled with numerous heroes since first shift is about to start. Gathering the pack his suit is stashed in from his locker before heading down to the hangar bay. Waving towards Royd, whose running pre-flight diagnostic checks on the mech, before slipping into the small bathroom that’s off to the side of the hangar. Robert has found that he prefers changing down here after one too many accidental walk-ins or Visi’s weird tendency to be invisible whenever he’s in a state of undress. Adjusting how his cowl sits on his face, taking a once over glance of himself in the mirror as he snaps in the last piece of exterior armor before heading back outside.
“How are things looking Royd?” Robert questions as he comes to stand by the larger man, looking over the data running across the various screens.
“It’s all looking good bruddah, she’s ready to go.” Royd says as he sets his glasses aside on the table before unclasping the cables from the mech.
“Great, I’ll make sure to grab us some coffees on my way back after shift.” He says as he gives the man a fist bump before climbing into the mech’s cockpit.
As the hatch shuts behind him, Robert places the astral pulse into place before sliding the containment cylinder into alignment. The mech comes fully online around him as he straps himself into the pilot seat. Hangar bay lights flash as the bay doors open, the mk. 2 mech flying out and into the sky once the doors are clear.
It’s days like these that remind Robert why he misses being a full-time hero. A couple of tussles here and there, no ridiculous coffee runs, and as the end of second shift nears, they’ve only had successful missions across the board. This last mission is an all-hands-on deck situation. A suspect thought to be behind the alarming growing amount of superhuman and hero disappearances was spotted down by the docks.
While Invisigal goes ahead to start skulking around their designated quadrant for any sight of the suspect, he stashes the mech off to the side of a nearby construction site. Crawling out of the cockpit, he’s engulfed again by the sound of the harsh rain that had been a dull tink tink tink from inside the mech. Sticking to the shadows, Robert makes his way to the docks. Keeping his guard up as he searches between countless cargo containers. As he’s about to complete the search of this portion of the southeastern quadrant when his attention is grabbed by the sound of metal falling nearby. Cautiously, he approaches the sound only to be greeted by the sight of Invisigal standing on one of the cargo containers surrounded by strange doglike beasts.
“No one said there would be some fugly ass dogs guarding this place,” Invisigal grits into the comms.
“There aren’t any guard dogs listed to be at the docks. While I try and get access to the dock’s cameras, do you see anywhere you can go?” Mandy replies over the comms.
“Yeah actually, I totally missed the bridge that leads from this crate right into a Four Seasons. Obviously, I don’t see a fucking way. These shits have me surrounded and I can’t make it to the next container.” Invisigal sasses.
“Visi lay down on the container,” Robert whispers into the comms.
Carefully skirting around the situation, Robert undoes one of the minor screws from a container before climbing on top of it. Checking that she was laying down before chucking the screw towards another stack of containers drawing the beasts’ attention towards the echoing sound. Both meet each other halfway and head away from where they last spotted those hounds.
“Now I totally get why Prism hates most pets” Invisigal whispers.
“We can cover your newfound pet-based trauma later, we still need to search the warehouses.” Robert whispers back.
“Yeah yeah lieutenant dan, back to work. You’re bossier on the field y’know.” Invisigal whispers before placing her mask back on and turning invisible.
Making his way towards the left side of the warehouse, peaking through one of the windows only to find it seems to be empty besides more containers.
“Can you upload the warehouse blueprints to me Mandy?” he whispers into the comms.
“Doing it right now, you should now be able to see them.” Mandy confirms.
Moving to be covered by some crates, checking the screen on his wrist guard. Taking in every detail of the layout and infrastructure before turning the screen onto idle mode. Climbing up a pipe along the wall of the warehouse before crawling into one of the open windows and down onto the second-floor catwalk. Searching each office before doubling back to the maintenance officer’s room. Counting in his head as he paces the room, finding that his hunch was correct. The footage of the room doesn’t match those listed on the blueprints. Heading out to fetch Invisigal after blocking the door from the outside.
“Visi, what’s your location?” Robert whispers into the comms, repeating himself when he gets no response.
“Mandy can you- “he’s cut off before he can finish the request.
“Already accessing the warehouse’s security cameras.” Mandy notifies him.
As he turns the corner he finds Invisigal lying unconscious on the ground, her black respirator mask laying just beyond her outstretched arm’s reach. Running to her side, moving her to lay her on her back as he checks her pulse and for injuries.
“I found Invisigal- “A strangled gasp of pain cuts him off as seemingly a taser is pressed to his neck, followed by a mask which is pressed over his mouth and nose.
Roberts struggles of not breathing in the gas pumped by the mask proving futile as his body seizes from the voltages of electricity being pumped into him. All he sees as everything begins to blur and fade into darkness are these dull, almost lifeless, purple eyes.
Description: The world wants an adult. Robert gives them a lie.
Robert learns three things the week after his dad dies:
Adults believe paperwork more than people.
If he wants to be Mecha Man, he has to lie.
Its far too easy to make a fake identity.
The first letter comes just three days after his dad’s funeral. Sitting at the kitchen island with a bowl of reheated macaroni and cheese, surrounded by flower arrangements sent by various mourners sending their condolences. As if flowers would help him with his grief, as if it would take the pressure from his chest.
Loud banging tears Robert from his thoughts, discarding the bowl on the island as he cautiously peeks around the corner of the kitchen towards the front door. Wondering who it could be this early in the morning. It couldn’t be Chase; he’d already be telling him to stop being rude and open the door already. Peeking through the blinds of the living room’s window, watching the man retreat to his car and driving away after banging on the door for a moment longer.
Waiting a moment longer before climbing down from the couch away from the window and takes a peek out of the door. Laying on the worn welcome mat is a thick, manila envelope addressed to The Estate of Robert Robertson II. Grabbing an umbrella off the coat rack, Robert gives it a hard shove with it before hiding behind the door in case it’s a trap.
With no reaction, placing the umbrella back before bringing the envelope inside. Padding to the kitchen, pushing the assortment of gifted flower arrangements to the side as he takes a seat at the island. It takes him two reads of the letter to understand that someone, the government, wants to know who is taking care of him. Carefully, he folds the papers and tucks them back into the envelope. Setting it in front of him as he returns to the bowl of mac-n-cheese he’d originally discarded.
“I am,” he mumbles to himself as he picks at the food before him.
It sounds stupid, he knows that, but someone needed to take up the mantle. Someone needed to be Mecha Man. He couldn’t do that if he was taken away and put in some foster family, they’d never let him bring the mech let alone use it. The Brave Brigade aren’t an option; he barely knew them besides the cookouts his dad held. Plus, they’ve stopped reaching out after the funeral. That leaves Chase, beside the fact he’d likely try to talk Robert out of being Mecha Man, he’s too young to have to care after him.
It took days and searching through his dad’s office for leads to resources he needed. The ‘uncle’ comes together in pieces through countless less than legal online transactions. A name first. Richard. Sensible. Boring. No alliteration. No hero cadence. Last name: Robertson. Obviously. Uncle Richard works in “logistics.” He travels a lot, leaving him very tired and very busy and unfortunately cannot come to the phone right now. Running clips through the voice modulator his father used in the suit, Robert creates the perfect voice. Lower. Slower from exhaustion. Less precise. Adults don’t speak precisely unless they’re lying, and Uncle Richard is lying all the time. He sets up a voicemail greeting on the house phone.
“This is Richard Robertson. Please leave a message.”
He listens to it three times. Good enough. The last piece to reduce the discovery of this fake uncle? Avoiding Chase. Sending his old babysitters phone calls to voice mail. Staying out of sight from the windows when he comes knocking. Along with changing his routes to and from school as to avoid any attempts to catch him that way.
Becoming Mecha Man seemed easier than becoming an adult. The helmet seals with a familiar hiss, and for a moment he almost believes his dad is still there, just on the other side of the glass. He runs diagnostics the way he was taught. Power levels stable. Actuators nominal. Armor plating at its foot still stained where Shroud— he aborts the thought. Mecha Man doesn’t cry. But Mecha Man has never been eleven.
The Phoenix Program and subsequentially the Z-team get their first sponsor/partner. Atlas Recovery, primarily a private medical provider for superheroes. Word around the gossip blogs, is that they only are backing them because one of the founder's had a villain for a father. Now the team is getting bigger facilities, Robert is going to finally be paid, and the team is going to get some proper first responder training. Only 'bad' thing is that Robert has more medical providers to lecture him on his lack of self-care.
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