#mechatoxic

[fruitytrollroll]

if toxic joined the z team it would be for the express purpose of antagonizing robert. the only thing that would make this worse for him is if flambae and toxic had hooked up in the past or hit it off in the present and started getting all buddy-buddy, and toxic's influence made flambae's relatively harmless bullying SO much worse. like a chemical fire.

[filijester]

crazy scenario of toxicbae being exes and then mechatoxic becoming a thing some times after. and flambae sees them together and he is angrily judging them but also in a classic “becky’s so hot by fletcher” he starts to admit that robert is in fact hot and starts wondering about him. which is to say robert is kind of his type and he’s like “I should hate that guy, … but I wonder if he’s a good kisser”.

I think toxic would be down for that threesome. and by that, I mean he’d be down to be the one who does nothing and is just watching while flambae and robert get freaky with each other.

[sunnyfrenchfries]

Toxicmech

[yigaclan]

please consider: robert decides his cute captive was well behaved enough to not get thrown in the dumpster and drags him back into his apartment. he doesn't know what he's going to DO with the guy but that's a future robert problem for after he deals with shroud.

he goes into the bedroom to get his mecha man costume on but rushes back out a minute later when he hears a commotion and remembers oh shit BEEF IS IN THERE what the fuck was he thinking leaving them alone together?? but he runs into the room, costume half on, to see beef mercilessly licking toxic's face and toxic laughing and cutely protesting. "Stop, stop," he giggles, "Stop it, doggy—eughh he got me, he got me, nooo!" 🤣🥰

robert stares 😳 this is so cute.... what the fuuuuck.....

[jackalopc]

do you think Jay is the kind of bf who would totally beat the shit outta someone for making fun of his partner cause "only I can call them a dickhead" or something along those lines?

re: domestic toxicmech au (and somewhat villain hobert au)

name notes: i hc toxic's name to be jay, in these au's, so that is how I will refer to him. in this au, toxic refers to robert exclusively by the name robin, so you may see that name used occasionally.

tysm for this ask!!

and honestly yeah 😅 he really is. like the thing about toxic (jay) in these au's for me is that like. is he a good, healthy partner for robert? yes. is he also still a fucked up person and also a lil obsessive? absolutely lmao he wont like automatically resort to physical violence — and even then usually without his powers (as much as able) because he purposely passes himself off as a normie. but he will absolutely snap right back at anyone fucking with his baby. usually it's enough with just that one thing for people to back off. and if not, they quickly learn that they might be mean, but jay is meaner. so he is more than willing to throw hands. and just, jay doesn't fuck around when it comes to robin.

which, for robert, is a part of the attraction. specifically like the fact for once someone is just so willing to defend him. he loves it. he loves that jay will just, without hesitation do something to defend him, to get rid of a problem that risks his/their peace, et cetera. he's not used to that behavior from anyone in his life, so that he doesn't even have to ask for it, is incredible. he is so used to being the knight in shining armor for other people because of being mecha man.

mind, no yeah like jay still loves to mess with his boyfriend. hell, like they both mess with each other: teasing, poking and proding, banter and snark and bitch. but its always friendly, like there isn't real heat behind it, yk? it's just playful and teasing. so yeah it is very much 'only i can call my bf a dickhead' energy. and that generally goes both ways, robert will bitch at someone if they're mean about jay. he will defend his man too, of course. they're healthy, somehow, but still a little obsessive in like. the other is their person? idk if that makes sense... i hope it does

thankfully, this sorta thing doesn't happen too often. but like even if its like a throwaway line from someone, especially when they don't know robert, jay snaps and tells them to stfu.

I think this happens a little at first when he goes to work for SDN and before they meet robert. like the team learn this fucking asshole has a partner and just make an off hand joke or two that basically imply (or outright) oh god how much they must be a bitch or awful if they chose this fucking guy and look jay doesnt give a shit if they talk shit about him. whatever. but how dare they imply his wonderful amazing robin has poor taste, or is a shitty person? and over the comms he just fucking tears into them.

[justmenoworries]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Started writing a thing, rarepair content for the rarepair content gods.

Chapter 1/?

Fandom: Dispatch

Rating: Mature

Relationship: Robert Robertson | Mecha Man/Toxic, Blonde Blazer | Mandy/Invisigal | Courtney

(Tags and warnings listen on AO3)

Toxic joins the Z-Team fanfic, post-season 1 with a side of ToxicMech.

yayyyy!

[fruitytrollroll]

Toxic's Name & Rank (and Robert's knowledge thereof), feat. Shroud

making my peace with the fact that not every asset on robert's conspiracy board is entirely useful to us, bc i don't think the devs spent THAT much time on a bunch of pictures of toxic (wearing the exact same clothes we see him wearing in-game... with all his tattoos and also his augments)...

BUT!

"the RETURN of the red ring" headline suggests the red ring was active PRIOR to shroud's 15 year stint in prison, and recently became active again after he broke out of prison. but how did he start an infamous gang of criminals after murdering mecha man, yet BEFORE going to prison? did he evade arrest somehow after killing robbie? was it actually a mystery who killed him at first, and they had to wait for the outcome of the investigation, during which shroud started amassing underworld connections? and by the time they realized it was elliot who committed the deed he had already made tracks, so it took a while to track him down and book him??

(the comics contain too many inconsistencies with the game, particularly with the contradiction that eli was simultaneously a former brave brigade member, but ALSO never got to be voted in as a member??? so i will not be taking them into consideration here, e.g. "well chase saw it happen, he would know!" LOUD INCORRECT BUZZER, elliot looks unaltered and unaugmented in his in-game mugshot, yet one of his eyes fully pops out when robbie is beating the shit out of him in the comics. and also he is covered in wires and shit. ergo, comic events as they pertain to eli cannot be taken 100% for granted as definitely true. i will concede that the comics are probably mostly canon, but everything pertaining to eli is so inconsistent that i'd call it defamatory crap published by the mecha man estate specifically to slander shroud post-betrayal, if i didn't think it was something closer to concept art. we will set this aside and move on.)

interestingly, toxic's mugshot features in this article, which suggests 1. he's been booked before, and 2. is a known member of the red ring (and he's wearing literally the same outfit we see him in but whatever, no extra assets for my boy and no tattoo references in the art book either 💀 whatever, I DON'T CARE)

also, the fact that the lefthand article about the prison break only says "shroud suspected" suggests that this article ISN'T referring to shroud's escape from prison, no? surely if he isn't fucking THERE any more you KNOW he broke out, so the article should say "shroud escaped". but it doesn't, so it must be written that way because he broke someone ELSE out.

but who in the world could be so important to his operations...? 👀

so, the red strings connecting the article about the prison break, the article about the red ring's return, and toxic's colored mugshot (as well as a crime scene photo which seems to show someone was hospitalized or killed during/as a consequence of the prison break/in a tangentially related incident) suggests to me that robert connected these pieces of information (and possibly some other legwork and inquiries not in evidence on the corkboard) in order to deduce that toxic was shroud's (MAYBE) lieutenant.

which is CRAZY interesting, because it means:

the fact that toxic (MIGHT BE) shroud's righthand man is actually not widespread public knowledge. robert had to deduce toxic's importance to the red ring's operations through shroud's possible involvement in his escape from prison, a news article that identifies him only as a prominent member or perhaps a key player (but not explicitly the lieutenant, because then why would there be a fucking question mark after the word "lieutenant" where robert wrote it on his mugshot?), shroud's willingness to kill/maim to get toxic back by his side, and whatever else robert learned poking his nose around where it didn't belong.

the fact that toxic is a super is a well-guarded secret. if robert knew toxic was a super, he'd be suspicious of the fact that he was able to bring him back to his apartment and so easily restrain him!! but we know the Llewellyn Steel Mill tip was a trick, and toxic was just playing along and PRETENDING to be intimidated into giving up the info. if he'd given it up too easily, robert would be suspicious. and if robert had known toxic was a super, he wouldn't believe he had the ability to put toxic on the ropes enough to make him reveal that information in the first place! ergo, robert--along with every official source he consulted!--thinks toxic is a normie with no powers.

ROBERT ABSOLUTELY KNOWS TOXIC'S LEGAL NAME FROM THESE ARTICLES BUT RESPECTFULLY ASKED FOR HIS VILLAIN NAME BEFORE THEIR FIGHT LIKE A GOOD TRANS ALLY WHO DIDN'T WANT TO DEADNAME HIM OR OUT HIM? 💚 KIND OF CUTE AND SWEET AND CONSIDERATE? AND THEN HE COMPLIMENTS TOXIC'S NAME??? when robert has NO PROBLEM telling visi her name doesn't suit her and flambae's name is stupid. but he ASKS and toxic says "you can call me toxic" like he's giving him permission :) and robert LAUGHS and says that "works for [him] on so many levels" 😊 like he respects the thought he put into it... yes i know this was the only way to introduce the character and he was not important enough to get a legal name (and i don't want one btw. unless i need it for fic plot reasons in which case i'll make up my own. kill the part of you that cringes and refer to superheroes by their CHOSEN names 🔫 like GOOD ALLY ROBERT ROBERTSON DOES) HOWEVER on a diagetic level robert 100% knows this guy's legal name and NEVER said it. bc he is a real one.

i suspect toxic conceals his powers because the punishment is probably much more severe if you're convicted of a crime as a SUPER, because you are considered armed and dangerous at all times? like, that shit automatically makes you a villain or something? and interestingly, despite toxic being INCREDIBLY useful, shroud seems to use him sparingly--like he also recognizes toxic is most useful when he's able to stay out of the limelight, to maintain his secret identity, and to only go back to normie prison if shroud ever needs to pick him back up again, lol. like bro is invulnerable but shroud doesn't ask him to show up ANYWHERE in plainsclothes because that might implicate him unnecessarily in the red ring's operations.

i can only assume this is why he doesn't show up at the sardine at all, and is so completely sidelined in the final fight. one could argue that shroud is leaving perfectly good cards on the table by not making more use of toxic, and maybe it's pure ego, or trying to keep TOXIC's ego in check, or to mitigate the chaos he introduces to a scenario just by participating... or maybe toxic is a trump card he's saving for later? (prison break 2: electric boogaloo??) or MAYBE shroud has a soft spot for him, and doesn't want him to be hurt in a blood feud he doesn't have a personal stake in... 🥺either way you spin it, it's interesting though...

toxic thoughts ironed out lovingly in conversation with @superloserz and @yigaclan and @mouseyblue-ao3 while i was recovering from carpal tunnel. ty all for ur contributions to my thoughts pertaining to him and chatting with me <3 i love my best boyyyy <333

okay that's all for now. thank u for coming to my ted talk. toxicshroud and mechatoxic forever 💚💀💚💀💚

[filijester]

how hilarious would it be if both flambae and robert were into toxic at different times.

and when flambae realizes robert is kind of into toxic (or was into him), he has the whole mortifying realization of “I have the same taste in men as mecha man does” and is just dramatically breaking down in the background over that.

while robert and toxic are just having their usual hero/villain “fuck you” “no fuck you” banter.