Chapter Text
Robert was an omega and as an omega he had instincts that frankly couldn't be ignored. Heats could be put off with suppressants and artificial pheromones could be used in place of a natural alphas scent during those heats. With time and patience he could push his instincts down and ignore them until he was in the privacy of his own home. Sure his nest were sad and small and only really smelled like him and a faceless chemical alpha but they did their job well enough. And for Robert that was all he needed. The one instinct Robert couldn't ignore however was that of a caretaker. More specifically a mother.
When he was younger the urge was relatively weak but the older he got the more he felt his omega crying out for a pup. Eventually it became unbearable, even to the point of making him physically sick. There were two problems with this however, one the world couldn't know Mecha Man was an omega so a pregnancy was out of the question. Two Robert didn't have time to raise a pup. He wanted to, GOD he wanted to. The thought of it alone made him purr but it was not only unrealistic with his lifestyle as a hero, it was also dangerous for both him and the pup. That's when he came across Beef.
He was tiny when Robert found him, barely weened. His head was too big for his body and his eyes bugged out at awkward angles. He was bloated from worms and his ears were crusted with ticks and fleas. He was so dirty Robert had thought his coat was brown. He was perfect.
Robert didn't think twice about pulling the shivering puppy to his chest and zipping it up in his coat, fleas and all. He barely remembered the trip to the pet store for medicine and supplies. Honestly if the cashier hadn't commented on his near constant purring he probably wouldn't remember at all. Despite the embarrassment he couldn't bring himself to stop. Every instinct he has been ignoring up to that point demanded that he sooth the pup. Sooth his pup. His baby.
He had bathed him, wormed him, picked the ticks out of his ears and meticulously combed his short wispy fur until he was certain no pests remained. He named him Beef because he found him in front of a butchers shop completely unaware of how fitting that name would become.
Caring for Beed soothed his instincts in a way he never knew possible. So when Beef accidentally ate a chicken bone Roberts stomach dropped. He rushed him to the vet only to find that the sharp edge of the bone had cut his intestines. He would need surgery. Robert agreed of course but this also meant Beef would be staying with the vet for about a week to ensure he was recovering properly before he could be safely sent home.
Robert was a wreck. The visits weren't nearly long enough and his omega was crying out desperately for its baby. By the third day his fatigue became obvious. He couldn't eat, couldn't sleep knowing his Beefy boy was laying alone in a kennel after what was surely the worst experience of his life considering he was completely unaware of the danger he was in during the whole red ring fiasco.
It all came to a head when he threw up mid shift on that third day.
The team were out in the field at the time so the only information they had was the sound of Robert wretching into the microphone and the loud thump that followed. They finished their missions quickly before rushing back to SDN ignoring the protests of whatever rando got shoved into Roberts chair as his replacement. Robert made them a pack. When everyone else deemed them too far gone to be helped he pulled them from the ash and told them they could be better. He made them Phenix's. To them that meant more than any blood line or any mating mark. He was pack. Their omega.
The scene before them when they arrived at medical was enough to set off every alarm bell z-team had. Robert was layn on the bed, iv drip and monitors attached to the omega. He looked frail. In all the time they've known him Robert had never been frail. Skinny and tired sure but never frail. He carried himself with a sense of responsibility and duty so heavy he almost seemed unstoppable. So seeing him like this, gaunt and pale, sweating in a hospital bed smelling like burned coffee and medicine. It was enough scare even the toughest alpha.
Coupe approached the bed first. Her hand hovered over Robert wanting to touch but too afraid. He looked like he might break. "What happened..." Her voice which was usually smooth and calm came out shakey and unsure.
Chase was seated beside the bed holding Roberts hand with both of his, looking every bit as old as his body was.
"There not sure yet. Just know it has something to do with his instincts" his voice shook like he was fighting back tears "we won't know for sure till he wakes up."
The rest of the team moved into the room settling in various places. In chairs on the floor. Golem stood guard just outside the door, too big to fit in the room.
They didn't have to wait long for their dispatcher to wake up. Dark eyelashes fluttered open revealing sad brown eyes. His pupils were dilated and unfocused. Slowly he sat up looking around him. Everyone crowded around his bed save for Golem who watched from just beyond the door.
A low long call for pack resonated from his chest before he tried to stand from the bed. Flambae was quick to push him back down as gently as possible. This resulted in a distressed whine and stark increase to his sour scent. Robert had dropped. Hard.
"Pack is right here omega" Chad tried to sooth pushing out his calming campfire scent only for Robert to cry out even louder. Chad didn't know what to do. He had never seen Robert like this. None of them had. They felt lost. Even Chase was at a loss.
"P-pup" Robert cried out weakly. The first real word the escape him "my pup!"
They looked around in confusion. Robert didn't have a pup. They knew that for sure. Robert could be secretive but even he couldn't conceal an entire child. And yet the omega continued to cry out for his pup while chase and his team tried desperately to sooth him. Malevola eventually thought to ask him about the supposed baby when the succeeded in standing from the bed on wobbly legs. Both clinging too and trying to push away from prism as she held him steady.
"What's your pups same omega?" She cooed and showed her neck to the distressed omega in an attempt to seem nonthreatening.
"Beef" he whimpered "need pup"
It all clicked in that instance. Robert had dropped because of Beefs long absence. But why? Why was Roberts omega so convinced the chubby Chihuahua was his baby? Yes they all coddled cared for and loved the little dog, but for Roberts biology to cling so strongly to him was concerning. After all Beef couldn't scent him back and wasn't capable of forming a biological bond with Robert. He didn't even smell like a baby, just wet dog and kibble.
Luckily the doctor came in just that moment and seeing Roberts incurable distress sedated the poor man. Prism picked him up and laid him back in the bed and Courtney tucked him in with enough care to be embarrassed about it later should it come up.
After talking with the doctor he was able to offer up an explanation of sorts. More like theory honestly but it was better than nothing.
"When an omega ignored their instinct they can start to fade" the short beta began "but our instincts are a biological necessity so if one goes uncared for another will become much stronger. You mentioned that Robert doesn't nest often and that he rarely scents even his pack mates?"
They all nodded
"He's never been one to willingly submit either. Even when it's safe" chase tacked on.
The doctor added that to his notes on the clipboard he was carrying. "My guess is that Robert was appeasing the instincts he was ignoring by indulging in his natural instinct to care for a pup. In this case he used his dog as a sort of substitute. With the dog no longer present his body isn't able to handle the stress of ignoring his other instincts anymore and has begun to shut down"
Chad stepped forward suddenly "he's going to be ok though right? I mean his Cow will be back from the vet in just a few more days!"
"Yeah, Boberts not gonna like die or anything just because Beefs sick?" Sonar was trying to sound confident but his worried were clearly bleeding through in both his scent and his voice.
"Bringing his pup back will certainly help his current condition, but it doesn't solve the core issue" the doctor spoke in a stern voice "the life of a dog is much shorter than that of a man. 'Beef' won't live forever. What do you think will happen when his time comes. One phantom pup bond is rare on its own. The chances of Robert experiencing another after the death of his dog isn't likely."
Punch up spoke up next. "Then what do we do?"
The doctor sighed. "For now we'll give Robert some antidepressants and anxiety medication to ease his symptoms. His omega is currently convinced he's somehow lost his baby so we'll need to keep his mood as stable as possible until we can reintroduce the dog. As for long term treatment, it is imperative that Robert stop ignoring his instincts."
The doctor paused and looked to make sure everyone was paying attention. Satisfied with what he saw he continued "nesting, scenting and absolutely no heat suppressants! He can talk to his primary care doctor about going back on them once he has stabilized. As his pack it will be your job to ensure that he does these things and that he does them frequently"
"You have our word" coupe promised. She finally sounded like herself again. The rest of the room echoed her promise.
Like it or not Robert was gonna be the most well cared omega on earth.