Archive of Our Own ^beta

“That’s it for today, guys. Get some rest. See you Monday,” was the last thing Robert said before he removed his headset from his ears, not even waiting to hear the sarcastic quips from the team. He ran a hand down his face but jumped when he felt a hand land on his shoulder.

“Just me, kid,” Chase piped up. “You should head home. I know that was a hard shift. Call me if you need anything, alright?”

Robert gave him a weak nod before he shut down his computer and stood from his desk. Beef laid asleep in his bed as Chase sat back down at his desk, and Robert decided he’d get the dog on his way out. First, he wanted to get a snack from the break room.

As he walked to said room, his brain ran through all the day’s events. It’d started out normal, the usual calls, until chaos struck when an apartment building fire turned into an entire building collapse. The Z-Team and others did all they could to get the residents out, but no one could’ve predicted that the building would collapse. In turn, several people were killed and some members of the team were sent to the infirmary.

Robert, in his ongoing effort to be the best hero and mentor he could be, could only think of what he had done wrong. He thought of strategies he could’ve done differently, calls he could’ve handled better. Maybe if he’d managed the Z-Team better, came up with a better system, then maybe they would’ve had more time to act. Maybe his team wouldn’t have been hurt and those innocent people would still be alive.

By the time Robert reached the break room, his thoughts and feelings were quickly snowballing into the beginnings of a panic attack, and thus his regression.

Robert went to the machine, trying his best to swallow the lump in his through as he shakily shoved the dollar into it. He would grab his treat, get his dog, and high-tail it out of the building so he could breakdown in the comfort of his own home. At least there he wouldn’t have to burden his coworkers anymore than he felt like he’d done already.

That plan was abandoned when the machine rejected the bill, spitting it back out at Robert. The simple action felt like a kick to his ego, and Robert huffed at the tears that began to fill his eyes. Great, he was going to cry now?

Robert, after a few more attempts, gave the machine a weak kick before crumpling to the floor. He doesn’t even register that his sweet treat had fallen from the machine’s clutches, too distracted by the thumping of his heart in his ears and the way he couldn’t control his breathing. He even tried that breathing exercise he’d learned a while back, to no avail.

His brain felt like it was moving too fast for him to process while his chest felt like it weighed a few tons. He wished he could call Chase, or Mandy, or someone, but before he gets the chance, he hears someone turning the doorknob.

Royd walked into the break room, unknowingly stumbling upon Robert mid-anxiety attack and speeding quickly into a regressed headspace. “Robert? You okay, bud?” Royd closed the door quickly. He tried to get closer, but Robert scurried back until his back hit the vending machine, putting more distance between the two of them.

“It’s just me, man! I not gonna hurt ya!” Royd tried to give him a reassuring smile, but Robert wasn’t having it. He only cried harder, hugging his knees to his chest and burying his face there. So Royd did the only thing he could think of: he called Malevola, someone he knew could get here the fastest. Just as he expected, Malevola appeared in no time, creating a portal into the break room.

“Robert?” she called him as soon as she stepped out of her portal.

Robert lifted his head up quickly at the sound of her voice, his teary eyes locked on the demon. “Mal,” he whimpered, reaching a shaking hand toward her. Malevola hurried to his side, letting the man wrap himself around her like koala. She pet his hair as she held him in her arms, standing and rocking him in place. She looked up to Royd. “What happened?”

Royd shrugged, rubbing his neck. “I dunno, found him like that when I come to get a drink.”

Malevola sighed. “Well, thank you for calling me.” Royd assured her it was no problem, before he watched her create another portal and step into it.

When they stepped back out, it was into one of the conference rooms where the rest of their team were congregated. Some members were bandaged from the building collapse earlier today, and it was easy to tell that the day’s events had taken a toll on them as well. All of their conversations ceased when the two appeared.

“What’s going on with him?” Chad is the first to ask when they entered the portal. He stood behind Alice and Colum, who were equally concerned. The entire team looked worried when they saw the state Robert was in. Robert continued to cry softly into Malevola’s shoulder before turning to look around the room. The several pairs of eyes seemed to startle him, as Robert quickly hid his face and clutched onto the demon tighter.

Victor reached toward her, urging her to let him take Robert off her hands. Although holding him was no issue for her, Malevola lets Victor take him. Robert began to fuss when he realized he was being taken away from the demon, but when he saw that it was Victor he was going to, he let himself be passed on. He latched onto him the same way he’d done to Malevola.

“I’m not exactly sure,” Malevola sits next to them. “Royd found him like this in the breakroom. Said Robert wouldn’t talk to him or let him touch him.”

“D-Do you think h-he’s upset about w-what h-happened today?” Herman piped up nervously from beside Bruno.

Colum folded his arms. “I mean, I’m sure we all are. But Robert’s handled way worse things than this, no?”

Courtney appeared next to Victor, taking Robert’s hand into her own. Robert only nuzzled his face deeper into Victor’s fur. “He’s been acting funny all day, though. Haven’t you noticed?”

Alice nodded. “I knew something fishy was going on in that little head of his!”

The team all remembered how Robert had started the day seeming a bit off focus than normal, but for the most part, he’d made good calls. Even during the fire and building collapse, Robert seemed to be on his A-Game, but they all could see now that he was burying his feelings and putting the job first. It was something they all could relate to.

The longer they chatted, the more Robert seemed to calm down. They had even managed to get him to stop hiding, but he refused to make eye contact with any of them, content on playing with the bat hybrid’s fingers.

“What’s on your mind, love?” Malevola asked him softly. Robert opened his mouth to speak, but his words were caught in his throat. He felt like crying again when he looked around the room, seeing the pitiful looks the team gave him, and he hiccuped a sob.

“Hey, hey, lad, it’s okay! You don’t have to tell us if you don’t wanna!” Colum tried to cheer him up.

“‘’m sorry!,” Robert wept. “Messed up an-and failed.”

“What you mean? You did great today, kid!” Alice exclaimed.

“Agreed,” Janelle responded, and Bruno nodded from next to her.

“You are one hell– I mean, heck,” Chad corrected himself when the others shot daggers at him, “of a dispatcher. Don’t beat yourself up for things that are out of your control.”

“Y-yeah! The b-best dispatcher anyone could ever ask for!” Herman awkwardly gave him a thumbs-up, and the action made a tiny smile appear on Robert’s face.

Courtney leaned into his ear. “We all did the best we could do today, so no more blaming yourself. Okay?”

Robert looked at her with a small pout, but he nodded. She kissed his forehead and watched as he wiped his eyes with one hand before looking around at the team. He reached his arms out to them all now, confusing them for a second.

“Hug?” he bashfully requested. The team erupted in coos and awes at the baby. Without a second of hesitation, they gathered around Robert to squeeze him into a hug. Despite how uncomfortable the group hug might’ve been, they’d do anything to cheer up their baby. Especially if it got him giggling the way it now did.