Au where the Mecha Man Blue explosion had more permanent damage:
A bomb explosion + over 50ft drop tends to equal more HP damage than a four-week Sleeping Beauty-esque coma (even less according to one of the comics) and a broken arm.
The public are a little more heartbroken when Mecha Man Blue doesn't walk onto the stage, but instead hobbles out on crutches, his suit just barely hiding a pair of hospital-loaned prosthetic legs.
The right leg of the suit had already been breached when the bomb went off, and the straps that normally held the hero in-place in combat ended up trapping him when he went down over LA. By the time emergency responders and medical personel got to him, it had been a little too late.
Robert awakes in hospital to a strangely-familiar old man holding his dog.
Robert, blurry: "Who..?"
Chase, short laugh: "That morphine some good shit, Robert. 'Cus I know your ass ain't got amnesia. My powers might've made me old as shit, but I haven't changed that much."
Robert, blinks with recognition: "Trackstar?"
Chase, smiling: "Yup."
Robert, tries to sit up: "...why can't I move my legs?"
Chase: (*goes quiet, eyes flicker to the end of the bed*)
Robert: (*looks down. His legs from just below the thighs are gone. Robert is silent*)
Chase, reassuringly: "The medics did all they could do. The suit absorbed a lot of the damage, but some acid shit seeped inside from the exposed leg port. Would have been a lot worse if you were angled just a little more downwards. The attending surgeon called me up since I'm still listed as your legal next of kin... Robert? You listening, son?"
Robert: (*planning Toxic and Shroud's demise*)
Robert is ultimately left with two missing limbs, permanent nerve damage in his hips and back, chronic pain, phantom pain, a minor brain injury, acid burn scars, etc... all from one really bad mission.
Blonde Blazer still approaches him after the disasterous press conference with a proposition. Turns out there's a career path for crippled former superheroes - making sure the new ones don't fuck up too badly.
Flambae still threatens Mecha Man at Crypto Night - claiming that just because another villain got their revenge first, doesn't mean Mecha Man is forgiven for what he did to the fire-wielder. Robert discovers that he shouldn't mix tequila and prescribed pain killers. Flambae is left mildy crispy and humilated. (Think a certain scene from Rango)
Robert now has to navigate; being the newest SDN dispatcher, being assigned a group of disrespectful ex-villains, repairing the Mecha Man suit, all in addition to adapting to his new disability. Also paying off medical bills, cus physiotheraphy, canes, meds, and wheelchairs are expensive af.
Royd promises to "make the man mecha again", no matter what. Even if he has to switch gears from the mech suit to work on building Robert some kickass superlegs in his spare time.