Chapter Text
“Robert- You know your dad is gonna be pissed, right?” Chase asked, the girl staring down at the cigarette in her hands.
“I’m going to be pissed if you call me Robert again. My dad isn’t here. Call me Robin,” The girl explained, Chase rolling his eyes as he flopped back onto the couch. He stared at the girl as she took another long draw of the cigarette, his eyes narrowing.
“Fine. Robin. Stop smoking. You’re twelve,” Chase repeated, Robin rolling her eyes before putting the thing out on a small plate in the middle of the table. He just flicked her off before reclining back onto the couch, staring up at the ceiling. It was hard to keep yourself occupied when your thoughts moved just as fast as your superpowers do, Chase groaning before changing positions on the couch.
At some point, he ended up glancing back at Robin. The girl was dressed in a loose blue and white striped shirt and loose shorts, something a younger boy would typically wear. Her brown hair was cut short into a weird pixie cut kind of style, her messy bangs growing near her eyes. She leaned back on another couch in the large livingroom, her arms loose at her sides as she stared out the window. Eventually her light brown eyes locked with Chase’s, her brow furrowing with question.
“Why the fuck are you staring?” She asked, Chase scoffing a bit.
“Sorry- It’s just- Your clothes.”
“Don’t fucking worry about it, ok? My dad buys my wardrobe.”
“And he dresses you up like a boy?”
“Yeah. That’s the whole point.”
***
“Obviously I love him… He’s my dad.”
***
“Thanks for this Blazer- With the Mechaman suit down I have no idea what to do with myself.”
“Don’t worry about it! Here. I got you a uniform. If it doesn’t fit, let me know.”
When Blonde Blazer tossed Mechaman a new SDN uniform so he could get changed, she didn’t expect for the hero to just start stripping right there and then. She found herself going red before just staring at him, watching as he unzipped the suit right down the middle. It was without hesitation, like the other had completely forgotten that Blazer was right there. However, instead of looking away, she just kept staring, her eyes widening at the view. She wasn’t just shocked by all of the scars that littered every single part of his body, but also by the extra layer of fabric that seemed to be underneath. It was skin colored, thinner straps going over the hero’s shoulders.
Oh yeah.
And then there were the boobs.
The very apparent boobs.
“Ah- Shit. Yeah. I kinda forgot about that. Sorry for the surprise Blazer- I’m just now realizing that you expected someone with a dick underneath this costume. I guess I need to start getting used to people knowing I’m a girl again,” The brunette cursed as they turned around, smiling over at Blazer as she took off the Mechaman mask.
Underneath was brown chestnut hair that was tied up and slicked back so it could all fit underneath the mask. The woman tossed the mask onto a nearby chair before she reached up and untied her hair, running her fingers through so the tension could release comfortably. She let out a heavy sigh, feeling the slight headache she had been dealing with slowly disappearing. With the mask off, Blazer could finally see the freckles that seemed to litter the woman’s face. With the freckles also came the longer eyelashes as well as the more feminine jawline that was no longer covered by the hero mask.
“You’re- You’re a woman?” Blazer stuttered out slightly, watching as the hero in front of her slipped off the rest of her costume before reaching for the khaki pants Blazer had given her. She had to jump a bit to get the pants on, but in the end they seemed to be a pretty good fit.
“Yep. Born and raised with a vagina, uterus, and boobs. It’s nice to finally meet you, Blonde Blazer. My name is Robert Robertson the fucking third- But I tell people to just call me Robin. It fits better with my brand rather than the Mechaman brand don’t you think?” She teased over her shoulder, throwing the SDN shirt on before tucking the shirt into her pants. Once she was situated, she stretched out her back, her spin cracking a bit causing her to groan.
“Wait- Hold on. Mechaman- Mechaman is a woman?” Blazer repeated, trying to get her head around it all.
“Yeah. Dear old dad was so upset that his only child came out a girl instead of a boy. Mechagirl or Mecha Woman apparently didn’t have a nice enough ring to it. So when he died and I took over, I let everyone believe that I was a man. I didn’t correct any of the reporters and I didn’t tell anyone until right now. You’re probably the first one who knows it’s me under this thing. It makes it a lot easier to hide my secret identity. Even you didn’t know that I was a woman- And you’re the one hiring me,” She joked a bit, suddenly looking self conscious as she peered over at Blazer with her deep brown doe eyes.
“You’re still hiring me- Right?”
“Yes. I’m still going to hire you- It’s going to take me a moment to adjust.”
“Alright… Good.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Robin.”
“It’s nice to work for you, Blonde Blazer.”
*** A few weeks later ***
“With that bird’s nest of a hair she got going on, that has to be a part of her power. Do we know anybody like that? Super tangled and knotted?”
“Lady Lattice? But I don’t know- She was a blonde superhero.”
“Hey! Robin! Did you recently have a midlife crisis and turn brunette?”
“First off. I don’t need to really prove anything like that to you. Secondly? If you really want to know, I'm all natural. I’ve never and probably will never dye my hair. Besides, shouldn’t you two be getting ready for your afternoon shift?” Robin found herself asking when she spotted Prism and Malevola sitting at one of the break room tables. When they didn’t answer her and just kept staring, Robin found herself simply rolling her eyes before reaching for the refrigerator door. As she searched for her food, Beef ran around her ankles, hoping that some food would drop.
“You know, there’s a pool going around on which superhero you used to be,” Prism spoke suddenly, Robin finally pulling her tinfoil wrapped food out of the fridge. She couldn’t truly remember where the left overs came from or what was in them, but she knew that it was good enough to be her lunch before she found herself sitting at her desk until the sun set.
“Is there? Why are you all so interested anyways? I’m just Robin Robertson. Your friendly neighborhood dispatcher who has to deal with the Z-Team’s bullshit every now and again,” Robin found herself saying as she unwrapped her food, placing it onto a paper plate before shoving it into the microwave. As her food heated up, she leaned back on the counter top, crossing her arms as she looked over towards the other two women.
“Come on Robin. Not even a tiny hint?” Maevola asked, Robin giving her a blank stare.
“No.”
“Robin! The person who gets this right wins 936 dollars,” Prism starts pushing, Robin’s eyes widening slightly.
“That’s a real specific number.”
“And that specific number could be ours. Throw us a bone here. Just one hint. I mean we’re friends right? Make your friends some money! Come on. Girl code?” Malevola almost begged, Robin rolling her eyes as she thought for a moment. There was no way they would get it right with a single hint, and it was almost impossible for anyone to guess correctly on their first try. So Robin let out a small sigh before tilting her head to the side.
“I was blue. There. Happy now? You got your hint,” She said before turning when she heard the microwave going off.
“That’s a really shitty hint. You know that right?” Malevola asked, Robin shrugging before grabbing her food.
“Well it’s all you’re getting,” She said as she tossed Beef some of his food.
“Aw come on! Don’t be like that! What happened to girls sticking together?” Prism pushed again, Robin rolling her eyes.
“Sorry. You’re just gonna have to earn 936 dollars in some other way… Huh. What way could that be? I’ll let you know if I WORK it out. Get it? I’m explaining the joke so-” Robin cut off when she noticed the cup getting chucked right at her face. She was quick to duck out of the way, her body moving before her mind could truly catch up. She watched as the cup shattered upon impact with the wall, the woman glaring at the two heroes sitting at the table.
“What the fuck?!”
“Decent reflexes-”
“Hey! Beef! No!” Robin cursed as she scooped up the dog.
“Which heroes do we know that talk too much and have quick reflexes?” Malevola asked, Robin flipping them both off as she walked out of the room.
“Clean this shit up,” She said before leaving without another word.
“Hey! Just because you’re not a dumb blonde doesn’t make you better than us!”
***
“Heard the team is scuffling with those Red Ring fucks. Are you sure your team knows what they’re doing? Those guys might be assholes but they’ve got eyes everywhere,” Chase said, Robin groaning a bit behind her mask as she focused on welding two sheets of metal together.
“They run half the crime in the county, Chase. We were bound to bother those assholes at some point.”
“Watch yourself, Robin. You poke the hive, you’re gonna have to fuck the queen.”
“That’s not how bees work.”
“You know what I mean.”
“I don’t know actually. However, I do know one thing. No one’s trying to fuck Shroud. I doubt anyone wants to be having sex and look up at his ugly ass face. Especially me… I might be thirty, lonely, and have no game, but I’m not so lonely and bored that I’m interested in anything like that,” Robin said, Chase chuckling slightly at her joke. On the other hand, Robin found herself pausing a bit as she held the tool in her hand tighter. There were a million other words she could’ve said next, but she found that she was speaking before truly thinking.
That’s what got her in trouble a lot of the time.
“But if we kill the queen we rot the hive,” She tagged on, Chase sitting up a bit more in his chair.
“You would do that? Kill Shroud?”
…
“Robin. That’s a serious fucking question. Cause you might get the chance, and you don’t wanna go in there having to think about it. You gotta know. That man killed your father, the last one who stood up to him in that damn mech suit. Do you really think he’s going to hesitate killing you too? At the end of the day it doesn’t matter who you are inside of that damn suit. You hear me? Mechaman be damned. You need to start asking yourself… What would Robin do? You need to know where you stand before you go up against the selfish prick,” Chase explained, Robin flipping up the protective mask she was wearing to simply stare at the man. She settled her arms on her knees as she leaned forward, hand hung low as she released a heavy sigh.
“I don’t know, Chase. I just don’t know.”
“Well you’ve gotta know at some point, kid.”
“I know…”
“You better. I don’t think my heart can take it if I’ve gotta grieve over another Mechaman,” Chase said, Robing nodding her head as she rubbed at her eyes.
She found herself walking down the staircase, her shoes tapping against the hard metal. She tossed her gloves to the side as she flopped into the nearby chair, leaning back to admire the suit she and Royd had been working on for god knows how long. She grabbed some of the food she had set out for her and Chase, taking a huge bite out of it as she relaxed, wanting to clear her mind before she had to go back upstairs and deal with the world. Beef barked a bit at her feet, wagging his tail happily as Robin smiled. She scratched behind the dog’s ear a bit before glancing towards Chase, finding the man looking up at the new suit.
Eventually, Robin knew that they had to go back upstairs to Dispatch the afternoon shift.
But something about sitting there with Chase made her feel slightly better about it all.
“You know… The Z-Team has a new little game going on and I’m at the center of it. They’re trying to figure out what hero I am. They have a betting pool and everything. Prism and Malevola actually cornered me in the breakroom upstairs right before I got down here. They think I have some superpowers and was a popular female superhero before getting benched and forced into a stupid desk job,” Robin said suddenly, laughing at herself. However, Chase found himself raising an eyebrow at her. He stared at the girl for a moment before looking over at the suit.
Chase had known Robbie for a long time.
He knew what the man was like.
However, he’s known Robin for all of her life.
And he knew almost nothing about who she really was.
“Are you going to tell them you’re Mechaman?” Chase found himself asking, Robin scoffing a bit.
“You think they’d believe me?” She countered.
…
“Kid- I know I might sound like an asshole for saying this. But your pops is dead-”
“Wow- Thanks Chase.”
“Would you shut the fuck up and listen to me?”
…
“Sorry…”
“You should be. I’m trying to give you some of my old man wisdom.”
“Chase- You are barely 40 years old.”
“Do you want the wisdom or not?”
“You’re right- My bad! Lay that wisdom on me, old one.”
“I will pop you in your fucking mouth if you call me that again.”
…
“Listen- Your pops is dead, Robin… And as much as I know about you Robertson’s believing in legacy and keeping up honor, I don’t think you should work yourself this thin. I’ve seen what’s happened to you over the years. You’ve lost friends, family, and even lovers in the past- And for what? To keep-... To keep up some fuck ass image that you’re some guy in a mech suit alive? I know you say it’s for safety and it’s an extra precaution, but we both know that’s absolute bullshit at the end of the day,” Chase stressed Robin looking down as she felt a weight forming in her chest.
“Chase-”
“Nope. I’m still not done.”
…
“Robin I’ve known you for a long time and I’ve seen how your father has treated you. Hell- When you were younger he would get mad just for you tying up your hair or putting on lip gloss. I’ll be the first to admit it. When I was younger, I was a stupid mother fucker who was really only in it for himself. I only really paid attention to you when I had to babysit your sorry ass… Even so… I knew back then that some of the things that were said and done to you weren't right,” He stated, Robin taking in a harsh breath as she looked up at the ceiling attempting to keep her tears in.
“Back then I didn’t do anything about it. That’s on me. But now? I want to make up for what I did and didn’t do. I want you to be yourself, kid. If this Z-Team is something you really care about, and you want to be friends with the people on that fuck ass team- Go for it. I won’t try to stop you, even if I do or don’t agree. It’s your life and you should finally have a choice on how you live it. You don’t have to be Robert Robertson the III anymore,” Chase explained, passing a bottle of water in the girl’s direction.
“You can just be Robin.”
…
“Thanks Chase… That means a lot.”
“Of course! You think I’d just leave you out to dry like that? No way- Besides everything going on, the suit is coming along pretty well. I don’t think I’ve seen it look this new in years. But- I mean Royd’s doing most of the work though right?”
“So much- You know him. He’s probably gonna redo all of this shit.”
Even so, Robin couldn’t find herself to care.
She was happy.
She was actually happy.
Soon, Robin found herself sighing for the millionth time that day as she sat down at her desk, coffee in hand as she booted up her computer. It took a few moments, but eventually she was typing in her password and a map of the city was appearing on her screen. After her time with Malevola and Prism in the break room, she knew that this afternoon shift was going to be a high energy one. A shift full of teasing, making fun of one another, and Flambae running around and doing his own shit rather than going the route that Robin asked him to.
That fiery fuck.
She sighed, looking around only to notice that Beef had settled for the dog bed that Chase had gotten him, Robin peeking around the cubical border to smile down at the small rotund dog. She didn’t turn back to her computer until the dog seemed to smile back, Beef giving Robin a small sense of normalcy and comfort. She brushed her hair out of her face the best she could before placing her headset on, flinching a bit when all the voices seemed to rush her at once.
“Welcome back everyone,” She stated flatly, hands hovering over the keyboard.
“We’ve got a few guesses at your identity. The leading one right now is Countess Cockblock,” Invisigal’s voice came through the monitor, Robin rolling her eyes at the clear joke.
“Let me guess. Her power is not being able to get laid?” She shot back.
“Nah! She has the ability to create penis shaped force fields. Get your head out of the gutter.”
“Great. It’s gonna be a long shift.”
Throughout the entire day, Robin was more focused on her computer rather than the comments thrown her way by the Z-Team. Yes, there were a few words from Invisigal that she found herself responding to, but in the end she just kept her head down and kept herself working. Eventually, the last call of the day came in and it was done in record time. By the time Robin could blink, it was night time, and time for her to clock out and go home for the day. She found a small smile appearing on her face as she pushed herself away from the computer, spinning in her chair a bit in the now empty and dark office.
She had to stop being the last one to leave for the night.
“Who’s up for drinks tonight?” Robin heard Malevola’s voice echo over the coms.
“Anyone but Crypto Night,” Punch Up replied.
“Flambae got banned from there-”
“Nice.”
“Let’s go to Sardine! Or are you banned from that one too?”
“Shut up!”
“Good week everybody. See you on Monday,” Robin found herself saying, grabbing her backpack from the ground before setting it in her lap. She was about to log off on her computer, but then heard a flood of voices yelling at her from the other side. She groaned slightly, pushing her headphones back up and expecting a bunch of arguing on the other line.
Instead she heard something else.
“Too cool to get a drink with us, Robin?” Punch Up’s voice echoed out.
“Don’t be a bitch!” Prism teased, holding the word out like that would do something.
“Be chill for once in your life,” Golem stated.
“Spend some time with us! Come on- We know you don’t have plans,” Sonar pushed, Robin rolling her eyes as she grabbed some papers on her desk before shoving them into her backpack.
“I mean The Sardine is a villain bat. Not sure I’d fit in,” Robin said, Invisigal scoffing a bit.
“Just go dressed like that! Everyone will think you’re a pervert,” She said, everyone laughing at her comment. Robin thought for a moment, looking down at Beef who was resting both of his front paws on her knee. He looked up at her with wide eyes as his tail swished back and forth happily, Robin zoning out the laughter on the line for a moment as she reached down to pet the little dog’s head.
“Yeah… Um… Alright,” She mumbled into the microphone.
The line was silent for a moment, before it burst into cheers.
“Fuck yeah, Rob!”
“Let’s fucking goooooooo!! Literally. Right now.”
“I am reasonably excited!”
“I- I am- I am excited to! Robin-... Robin.
This night just got a lot longer.
***
“Why are you out here?” Robin asked, Golem looking down at her with a shrug.
It wasn't as cold as she thought it was going to be, the girl having left her jacket, backpack, and Beef back at her apartment. She didn’t want to bring anything of value into the bar, especially something as valuable as Beef. Unfortunately, the bar wasn’t that far from where she lived, only being a couple blocks down and about a fifteen minute walk. Still, she found herself still in her SDN uniform since it was the last really clean thing she had other than her gym clothes. She of course had changed into a sports bra rather than the normal itchy one she wears to work, the girl taking a deep breath as she looked at Golem.
“Too damn big,” He stated simply. The girl gave him a sympathetic smile.
“Well… Do you want a drink?”
“Sure.”
“You want two?”
“Sure.”
And with that, Robin was entering The Sardine. She saw that the bouncer had given her a small glance, maybe trying to catch a view of her ass, but still allowed her to enter anyway. A part of her believed that the man thought she was someone’s bitch, Robin trying not to think much of it as she walked up to the bar. She spotted Invisigal almost immediately, the girl turned around trying to get the bartender's attention with her raised hand. Robin made a straight beeline for her, sitting next to the girl on one of the empty stools with a slightly smug look in her eyes. Invisigal took one look at Robin before nodding towards the multiple kinds of liquor on the shelves.
“Buy me a drink,” She stated, Robin rolling her eyes.
“Fine. Just grab us a table and I’ll be over in a sec. I don’t want you to watch my pride widdle away as I try and get everyone some kind of drink,” Robin explained, Invisigal winking at her before walking away, Robin glaring at her as she left. However, Robin spotted a nearby round booth that was filled with Red Ring assholes, the hero immediately looking away when she noticed one of the guys staring at her. Whether it was because they found her attractive or they recognized her, Robin didn’t know. But she didn’t want to stick around and find out.
Royd and Robin have been working on the suit whenever they had the time, Chase watching them as they did so. Still, even when she didn’t have the suit, most of the time Robin would go out dressed in her Mechaman outfit. Even when she went to the bar, the mask that she had to wear to keep up appearances made her feel safe. Without her mechsuit or her hero mask, she found being around villains made her feel more open than usual. She felt like she was naked, left to fend for herself in the snow. Still, she knew she couldn’t do anything about it and let out a heavy sigh before raising her hand.
“Two fancy whiskeys please,” She said, the bartender nodding her way.
“Make it three.”
“Four.”
“Make it five.”
“Five fancy whiskeys?” The bartender asked, Robin glaring at Prism, Malevola, and Punch Up as they approached the bar. They were all smiling at her brightly, Robin quickly realizing that they expected her to pay for all of the drinks for the night. However, knowing that she was poor as dirt, Robin quickly turned to the bartender. With her free hand she carefully unbuttoned a few of the buttons on her shirt, leaning over the bar with a deadpan face.
“No. I need- Uh- Eleven shitty whiskeys,” She said, the man looking her up and down for a moment.
She hated doing this.
But for alcohol she almost found that it was worth it.
Almost.
“For you beautiful? Anything. Look. I’ll get the good shit for you and your friends here as long as you give me your phone number right here. Right now,” He said, Robin rolling her eyes at the poor attempt at flirting. Still, she reached for a napkin from the pile nearby and grabbed a pen from one of the cups. She scribbled down a random phone number before folding the napkin in half and tucking it into the bartender’s front shirt pocket. Seemingly satisfied, the man chuckled at her before walking off, Punch Up patting Robin on the shoulder as she rebuttoned her shirt.
“We should’ve invited her earlier,” He stated, Malevola and Prism sharing a look.
“We thought she was a fucking narc,” Malevola commented.
“With how you’re treating one another, it’s almost like you guys enjoy getting blacked out drunk every weekend. How long have you guys been going out like this?” Robin found herself asking, looking between the three heroes. Punch Up seemed unsure and Prism was too focused on her phone, but Malevola simply answered without any look of hesitation.
“Since day one,” The demon replied, Punch Up chuckling.
“Don’t act so surprised! You were the bad guy until-”
He paused.
“Wait- When did we decide she wasn’t one of the bad ones?”
“Tuesday,” Prism stated simply, double clicking her screen.
Huh.
It was better than nothing in Robin’s book.
“Cheers,” Robin said simply once all of the drinks were handed out. She was quick to grab one in each hand, turning around so she could start handing them out. However, when she did, she found herself face to face with the same Red Ring guy that was staring at her minutes before. She looked up at him, grimacing a bit at the lizard-like face he was sporting. They had a staring match for a brief moment, Robin letting out a sharp breath.
“Excuse me. I’ve got drinks to deliver and I don’t think I know you,” She stated simply, getting a weird growling sound in return. The music was pumping loud around them, but Robin could somehow still hear the sound of her blood rushing in her ears. The man eventually did step out of the way, watching Robin the entire time she passed. She could tell Punch Up and the girls were watching the interaction, all of them whispering to one another as she left the bar.
Still, she couldn't find herself to care or explain what the interaction was. As Robin moved around the bar, she kept her head down, a part of her wishing she really did bring her jacket so she at least had a hood to slightly cover her face. She made her way over to Waterboy and Phenomaman first, the two of them sitting in a small corner all alone. Robin knew it was because Phenomaman was easily recognizable, but he was probably allowed in because of how depressed he seemed. Even so, she found herself laughing a bit when she heard snippets of their conversation.
“I’m thankful that our breakup has given me time to learn about myself, but unfortunately what I’ve learned is that I hate me,” The huge man said, wrapping an arm around Waterboy, the kid only able to let out a nervous mumble that was barely audible. The latter gave Robin a nervous look, the girl simply smiling at the younger boy before dropping off the two glasses. Before stepping away, she gave Waterboy a small thumbs up, the boy just patting Phenomaman on the back before giving a thumbs up right back.
She kinda felt bad for the guy.
Then again…
The two were almost a match made in heaven.
After dropping off two drinks to Golem and one to the bouncer out front, the next drink she dropped off was Coupe and Sonar’s. It took her a while to spot them and avoid the table all of the Red Ring people were sitting at, but she made it there eventually. The both of them were gathered around a pool table, Sonar making a shot by the time Robin made it over there. On the other hand, Coupe was just watching the bat hybrid, the girl looking Robin over before taking the drink from her hand. Robin was a bit concerned at how fast she chose to drink it down, but at the end of the day found it wasn’t really her problem. It wasn’t like they had work tomorrow. She handed Sonar his drink and turned to go, but the hybrid was quick to stop her.
“Hey- Robin.”
“Yeah?”
“Wait, uh… This is kinda hard for me- Look. I know it was probably a by the books, bottom line, kind of decision but… Thanks… Thanks for fighting for us and keeping Coupe and I on the team. I know the other guys appreciate it and everything too, even if they don’t show it. Honestly, I- I don't know what I’d do if I lost this job. I don’t think I have anywhere else to really go from here… Other than back to Harvard,” Sonar said, fiddling with the pool stick with both hands. Robin smiled gently before resting a hand on his shoulder. She gave him a curt nod before she heard Coupe clearing her throat.
“If you need me to kill someone for you. I will. Doesn’t matter who it is. I’ll kill them in a heartbeat,” She said simply, a knife appearing in her hand from a black buff of smoke. Robin gave the assassin her best smile, eyeing the knife a bit like she was afraid it was going to go flying across the bar and his someone. Worst part, it probably was, and that was kind of concerning. Still, she knew it was Coupe’s way of showing her appreciation.
At least that’s what Punch Up had said.
Finally, Robin had found Invisigal, the girl flopping right next to her into the booth. She still had no idea where Flambae was, the loud and brash fire hero nowhere to be seen throughout the entire bar. She thought he had walked in with Prism, but after looking around a bit more it seemed like he wasn’t there. From where she sat, she could see every corner of the bar, therefore every person she was supposed to be there with. So it was either Flambae was running a bit late from whatever he had to do before this, or he wasn’t showing up at all. Robin had no idea why that seemed to upset her as much as it did, Invisigal’s eyes narrowing a bit as she looked Robin over.
“You know… Everyone thinks you’re a narc,” She pointed out, Robin groaning a bit.
“It’s either that or a bitch. I don’t know which one I prefer honestly,” She replied.
“They call you a bitch in a friendly way. It’s how they show you they care. On the other hand, they call you a narc because they think it’s the truth. It’s cause they can still smell the hero on you. You’re the enemy. It doesn't matter what you do really- You can buy them drinks. You can make sure they don’t get fired. You can line them up and blow them one by one! But at the end of the day? They’re still gonna think you might be the hero that fucked up their life,” She said, pausing for a moment.
“You know, as close as we are, I still think that sometimes,” She tagged on, Robin frowning a bit at the girl’s words.
“Visi-”
“I know that’s stupid. But Robin-”
“No- Ugh- Fuck. I guess I get where you’re coming from. I’m still trying to get used to how you guys think and why you all act like you do. I was a hero- So I need to catch up. I might never get used to it to be honest, but I think I understand the trust part of it to an extent… Though, I’d kinda argue that they fucked up their own lives being criminals and, you know, terrorizing the city,” She stated, her shoulders relaxing for a moment. Invisigal found herself searching Robin’s face while the girl wasn’t looking, her gaze shifting into something unreadable.
Who was this chick?
And what the fuck made her this way?
“See? That’s some narc shit. Just tell them who you are… Tell me who you are,” Invisigal offered in an attempt to lighten the mood, the girl holding out her hands towards Robin. However, the latter just rolled her eyes as her defensive walls came right back up again.
“Nice try. But you’re not getting that 936 dollars just because you’re appealing to my feelings. Plus, I’m here to get drunk. That seems kind of manipulative… Even for a hero of your standards,” She teased, Invisigal flicking her off before taking a sip of her whiskey. Just then, Flambae burst his way into the bar. He was just as loud and as brash as usual, walking up to the table Prism was sitting at before knocking heads with some guy.
“Sorry for trying to be nice, asshole- But really! What are the odds you busted any of them anyways?” She asked, glancing over at Robin who was just giving her a blank expression. Invisigal was confused for a moment before Robin nodded towards the man who had just entered the bar, the girl cringing a bit as she realized what Robin was trying to tell her.
“Oh.”
“Yeah. Oh.”
Now thinking back on it.
Robin really did regret doing that.
“I’ll be back. I’m going to go give this asshole his drink… Even if he was a bit late. Wish me luck! I might die,” Robin said, the weight of the world suddenly returning to rest on her shoulders. As much as Robin enjoyed working with the Z-Team, Flambae had always been the shakiest one to work with. She also knew that no matter what she did, it was going to stay that way for a while. As she stood Invisigal simply nodded her way before lifting her drink.
“Good luck!”
For a moment, the girl stared down at the man as he flipped through the karaoke book, mumbling to himself as he read off all of the song names. Before she could speak she found herself at a pause, watching as his hand brushed against the pages wrapped in plastic. She cringed a bit when she spotted his blatant missing fingers, but took a deep breath as she placed a cup right next to him. He didn’t even look at it at first, all of his focus was on the song lists. Still, for whatever reason Robin also sat down next to him, Flambae not even looking at her as he spoke.
“Rob. Be honest. Am I gonna make a fool of myself if I sing Whitney Houston?” He asked, Robin letting out a breathy laugh as she took a sip of her drink.
“Are you Whitney Houston?” She asked, Flambae finally looking up at her.
“No.”
“Then yea. Of course you will.”
“Fuck. You’re right.”
She laughed before picking up the drink and pressing it into Flambae’s hands. The man looked down at the drink for a moment before hesitatingly taking it, watching as Robin carefully got up and cracked her back. In the end, he didn't say anything as he watched Robin make her way back to the booth where Invisigal sat. For some reason, he found himself staring down at the glass, seeing himself in the reflection of the drink. He sighed to himself before downing the whole drink at once, ignoring the way it burned all the way down.
“Get your shit together-” He mumbled to himself.
By the time Robin sat back down, Invisigal had seen all she needed to. In all honesty, she probably saw more than she needed. From the weird tension between Flambae and their beloved dispatcher to the way that Flambae seemed to stare at Robin as she walked away. She thought back to what she had been told about Flambae. She knew that he was one of the bigger villains in the city, and she knew that he hated a handful of heroes. Now that he was missing fingers and Robin was probably the one responsible, it narrowed the possibilities by a lot. Unfortunately for her, Robin returned to the table before Invisigal could call Prism over and gather more information on her fiery friend.
“You know? I thought he lost his fingers working in a deli or something,” She joked, Robin letting out a fake laugh.
“Eh… He wishes- Plus, there was this incident at some bar. He was fucking with me and I kinda…” She trailed off, pointing at her own mouth. Once again, it took a moment for Invisigal to understand, but when she did she cackled loudly.
“You’re the one who knocked out his tooth?”
“No. He knocked it out himself… By getting a face full of countertop. Which somehow makes a lot less sense saying it out loud…- But it’s not like he didn’t get any good hits on me. One battle I had with him scarred me for life. Burned me so bad I was out of commission for a good while,” She trailed off, watching as Flambae got up on stage to sing. She tried her best to block out the sound of his voice, burying her face in her hands.
“So you can see- Uh- Why I’m worried about getting incinerated,” She tagged on.
“Robin. We all pay for who we used to be. Sooner you get it over with? Sooner we get a fresh start with the real you.”
Fuck.
Robin didn’t even know who that was.
“You heard me when I said incinerated, right?” She asked instead, Invisigal rolling her eyes.
Robin didn’t remember anything else after that.
***
“This is the last fucking time I let you take me out drinking. Next time? We’re going to Chili’s. Or some other normal ass place where the Red Ring to hang around,” Robin said as she took the cup of ice from Malevola. The demon just gave her a small shrug and a smile before sitting next to Sonar, the hybrid grabbing a bug from the ground and sticking it into his taco. The rest were eating happily around them, all of them different levels of fucked up after what happened at the bar.
“Come on though- You have to admit it. You had fun. I saw you kicking ass and busting heads. As an Ex-Hero I would’ve assumed you missed the action,” Invisigal said as Robin rolled her eyes. She took a bite of her own feed before sighing, looking up towards the stars in an attempt to steady her head. She didn’t even notice how the people around her seemed to go silent, Punch Up clearing his throat.
“On that note-” He started, Robin groaning a bit.
“Come on guys- Really? Now?”
“Yes now! We want an answer so we can claim that money!” Prism shot back.
“She’s right. We all know this- Robin character you got going on is just a front. You can tell us. Who are you? Really,” Punch Up asked, all eyes looking towards Robin. She felt her heart stutter as all of them looked her way, having no mask to hide behind. She was quick to look down at the cup of now melted ice she had in her hand, trying her best to hide behind her messy brunette hair. Still, her stupid poorly cut bangs could only cover up so much.
She hated being without the suit.
She hated not being able to hide behind the mask of being a man.
If only she was born as one…
Maybe then this would be easier.
Being Mechaman came easy for Robin because it was all she knew. She knew how to play the part, how to drop her voice so she would appear to be more masculine. Her ribs used to ache because of how tight the Mechaman pilot suit was, pressing her chest down like a vice. It was something that she was used to, and she even found comfort in it. She could remember the days where she would practice walking so she wouldn’t be outed for walking feminine. She used to drill herself and find poses where she could stand comfortably but not accentuate her hips or her waist line.
She remembered her poor relationship with food.
She remembered taking scissors to her hair at the age of eight.
She remembered wishing she could be reborn into a boy her father would be proud of.
Her mind lingered on her father…
He was a real man.
She was just a girl.
What could she do?
“I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. I don’t think you all would believe me if I told you who I really am. If I were to tell you, you’d think I’m fucking with you and then laugh in my face. I don’t know about you guys but I’d rather not look delusional in front of people I dispatch on the daily,” Robin tried to joke, Invisigal taking a step forward with her arms crossed. She was giving Robin a look of disappointment, almost squaring up to Robin with a type of challenge. They locked eyes, Inisigal’s eyes narrowing as she leaned forward.
She was unshakeable.
“Make us believe then, asshole.”
If only it was that simple.
“Fine. I think I have an idea,” She said, her hands reaching for the hem of her shirt.
Robin’s eyes scanned through all of the members of the team before her eyes landed on Flambae. Her eyes lingered on the man for a moment before she finally got her shirt untucked from her pants. She lifted it slightly and the entire Z-Team got a good look at what seemed like a burn scar that covered her whole ribcage and went further down beneath her waistline. She looked away as they leaned in, looking at her twisted skin that swirled into tight patterns across her torso. She even stretched it a bit, the scars moving like they were alive. However, she found herself flinching when she heard Flambae’s voice cut through the silence.
“No- No! No fucking way! You- You can’t be- You’re a damn liar! This is some kind of trick! It has to be!” Flambae shouted, Robin dropping her shirt. To Invisigal, she looked pitiful, smaller than she did at the bar when she seemed scared to speak about the past over a drink. Her doe eyes were sparkling with tears that refused to fall. Still, Robin motioned to herself weakly, pausing like she was trying to find the right words.
“I’m Mechaman.”
“No way-” Punch Up mumbled.
“That’s like- A real superhero!” Prism said as she stood.
“Yea! And also, you know, a MAN,” Sonar stressed.
“My full name is Robert Robertson the III… Robin is a nickname I gave myself because I thought my full name was stupid. My father was the second Mechaman, after my grandfather, and when-… When he was killed by Shroud- I took over… I was fifteen years old,” Robin started to explain, looking down at her scarred hands as she twiddled her thumbs. It was getting harder and harder to breathe, her throat closing up as she tried to center herself. The fresh concussion made it difficult for her eyes to focus on one thing, her head spinning as she spoke.
Still, she pushed on.
She could do it.
She had to do it.
“All my life- I was told that I had to be a man. I was told that I couldn’t-... Mechman. It’s in the name. Man. I was told that Mechaman was the legacy that I was supposed to carry no matter what… It didn't matter that I was a girl and had no clue what the hell I was doing- I had to be a man in that suit and I had to be a man for the public. It was like- If I wasn’t a man, the entire world would fall apart and it would all be my fault. I had to be strong, smart, and all the stereotypical things a man has to be when he’s a popular hero. I couldn’t tell anyone that inside of that huge powerful Mech…” She trailed off, closing her eyes, a stray tear finally pushing through and rolling down her face.
“Was a scared bitch of a pilot,” She finished, flinching back a bit when she heard footsteps approaching.
Before she knew it, there was a blast of heat being shot right at her. She shrunk in on herself, ready for pain to hit her like a truck. However, when she looked up she saw Golem standing tall and taking the blast like it was nothing. Flambae stood before Robin, glaring at her and breathing heavily with his entire being on fire. Just like he was back in that stupid parking garage. He was about to shoot at her again, but Waterboy was quick to put him out, the boy glaring at him as he wiped the water from his mouth. Robin was surprised when the entire Z-Team came to his aid, Flambae staring at Robin for a moment with a storm brewing in his eyes. Robin could tell he was angry, but there was something else mixed in his gaze that made her stomach churn uncomfortably.
Disappointment.
Then he flew off.
“You saved my life,” Robin said dumbly, looking up at Golem who just smiled.
She barely had time to react when Invisigal came barreling into her side, hugging her tightly with her arms wrapped around her neck. Robin was quick to hug her back, burying her face into Invisigal’s shoulder as she took in deep breaths. Finally, her adrenaline was running on empty, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed. She cried as hard as she could, her voice muffled by the girl’s clothes. She knew she was probably soaking Invisigal’s shoulder, but at the moment she couldn’t find herself to care. For once in her life, she genuinely felt safe.
“You’re ok Robin- It’s alright.”
And for once…
She believed it.