Chapter Text
The day was almost at an end after the team finished their final mission. Successfully, at least.
Though it had been exhausting. The villain had put up far more of a fight than expected, draining both time and energy from everyone involved.
The Z-Team returned to SDN HQ after the messy mission, dragging along a strange metal sphere. The object emitted a low, unnatural hum as they entered the break room, causing several of them to scrunch up their faces in discomfort.
Prism pointed at the thing, currently wrapped in Malevola’s tail.
“What is… that?”
“I don’t know,” Malevola replied with a shrug, eyes still fixed on the device now resting in her hand. “But it looks kinda cool, don’t you think?”
Flambae huffed, already irritated.
“Bitch, what the hell? Why did you bring that shit here?”
“Are you trying to get us killed, for fuck’s sake?” he snapped, glaring straight at the demoness.
Before Malevola could respond, Waterboy quickly stepped between them.
“W-woah! H-hold on, guys. L-let’s not start- start a fight here.”
“Yeah, gang. Chill,” Sonar added. “It’s not like that thing’s gonna blow up any time soon.”
He winced slightly. “But whatever it is, it’s killing my ears.”
“Alright lads, easy on. Calm the fuck down, will ya?”
Punch Up spoke up. “How about we head somewhere else first? This isn’t exactly the place to be talking about this.”
All attention turned to him.
That didn’t last long.
Footsteps echoed into the room, drawing everyone’s attention toward the entrance.
“What’s going on here?” Robert asked, frowning slightly. “Why are all of you still here? Shouldn’t you be done for the day?”
If it were him, he’d already be heading home, dinner, rest, sleep.
But unfortunately for him, he wasn’t them.
He raised an eyebrow, scanning each face. No answer.
“So…?”
“O-oh! W-well—” Waterboy stammered, panic creeping into his voice. “W-we brought this strange thing back, and i-it’s m-making w-we– uh–b-biz– s-strange sounds! Y-yeah! Strange sounds. A-and we were g-going to the lab ‘cause Colm t-told us to and– then you c-came in!”
Malevola lifted the device slightly to show it off.
Suddenly, it began to glow.
Gasps filled the room.
Even Robert froze, eyes locked on the object.
“What– how the hell did that happen?”
Prism shot Malevola a suspicious look, clearly asking Did you do that?
Before the demoness could answer, the device was ripped from her grasp, now floating mid-air.
Invisigal had arrived.
“Sorry,” she said casually, “went for a piss and somehow missed a whole circus.”
She squinted at the glowing object.
“What is this, then? A glow-in-the-dark dildo, or am I hallucinating?”
She snorted, looking around the room.
“Robert, is this yours? Bit inappropriate to bring sex toys to work, don’t you think? You nasty bi–”
The device vanished from her grip—now firmly in Robert’s hands.
“–tch.”
“First of all, this isn’t mine,” Robert said flatly.
“Second, maybe don’t play with random devices when you’ve no idea how dangerous they are. For all you know, it could be a bomb or some weaponised bullshit. I’m throwing it out.”
“You dumb fuck,” Flambae snapped. “Where do you think you’re throwing that?
You toss it somewhere random and, congratulations. You’ve just injured civilians.”
Robert didn’t even flinch. Poker face intact.
“Well. That’s exactly why I’m the one getting rid of it.”
Silence.
“I don’t have a good feeling about this,” Coupé said, her monotone voice cutting through the tension.
“Alright, okay. How about all of you head back– woah, hey!”
Robert stopped short as the device floated right out of his hands again.
Invisigal held it mid-air, unfazed.
“What’s so dangerous about it? Could be something like your Astral Pulse, you know. And if it was dangerous, we’d have been blown up ages ago.”
Silence again.
“Ha! Am I right?”
Phenomaman sighed, rubbing his temples.
“I understand your reasoning, Miss Invisigal,” he said calmly. “And I may agree. However, I still believe the object poses a potential risk.
I would respectfully suggest we allow qualified personnel to handle it first, so they can investigate its purpose.”
Punch Up clapped his hands together.
“You know what, Dumpy? You’re right. Some head on you to come up with that.”
“Alright then,” Robert sighed. “Let’s bring it to the lab.”
——————————————————
The lab was quiet.
Too quiet.
Bright white lights hummed overhead as the team gathered around the examination table. The metal sphere hovered just above its surface, still glowing faintly, still emitting that low, irritating hum.
“Well,” Sonar muttered, “at least it’s not screaming anymore.”
“That’s progress,” Prism replied dryly.
Invisigal floated the device lazily between her hands. “See? Perfectly harmless. You lot worry too much.”
“Don’t,” Robert warned, arms crossed. “Touch. It.”
“Oh relax,” she scoffed. “I’m not licking it.”
Malevola leaned in, eyes gleaming with curiosity. “You know, if we just opened it—”
“No,” several voices snapped at once.
She pouted. “Rude.”
Flambae rolled his eyes. “Give it here. I’ll put it in a containment box before someone with invisible hands drops it.”
“Oh, like you’d do any better?” Invisigal shot back.
She flicked the device toward him.
That was the mistake.
Flambae reached out too late.
The sphere slipped mid-air—
CLANG.
It hit the lab floor and rolled, a sharp crack slicing across its surface.
Everyone froze.
“…Oops,” Invisigal said.
“Oops?” Prism repeated slowly. “You dropped it.”
“It slipped!”
“I told you not to–” Robert pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling sharply. “Is it leaking? Is it sparking?”
The device lay still.
Silent.
No explosion. No alarms. No ominous countdown.
Just a faint crack along its side.
“Well,” Sonar said after a moment, “we’re not dead.”
“Yet,” Coupé added.
Robert crouched down and picked up the sphere, turning it carefully in his hands.
“It’s fine,” he said, relief creeping into his voice. “See? Nothing happened.”
He straightened up,
and suddenly staggered.
“Whoa–”
“Robert?” Waterboy stepped forward.
The dispatcher blinked rapidly. The room spun. His head felt light, warm, too warm.
“Okay,” Robert muttered. “That’s… new.”
The glow from the crack intensified.
“Uh,” Prism said. “Guys?”
The light flared,
POOF.
Smoke filled the lab.
When it cleared, Robert was gone.
In his place…
A small figure sat on the floor, wide-eyed and stunned.
Silence.
“…Where’s Robert?” Sonar asked.
Slowly, everyone looked down.
A small boy stared back at them. Messy hair. Oversized clothes slipping off his shoulders. Same eyes.
Same face.
Just… tiny. Young. Very much, young.
The crack on the device glowed faintly beside him.
“…Oh,” Coupé said.
“Oh no,” Malevola whispered.
Invisigal floated closer, peering down.
“…We broke him.”
Chaos erupted.
“THIS IS WHY YOU DON’T DROP ALIEN TECH!” Flambae yelled.
“You flicked it at me!” Invisigal snapped back.
“YOU COULD’VE LET IT GO!”
“I WAS CATCHING IT!”
Waterboy panicked. “W-w-what do we do?! D-do we– do we p-p-put him back?!”
Punch Up stared at the kid, jaw slack.
“…That’s the dispatcher.”
The boy sniffed.
Everyone froze again.
Robert, who's now smaller, start to look at them confused. Tears start to swelled up in his eyes, as his lips trembled slightly.
“I wanna go home…”
Dead silence.
Punch Up swallowed.
“…We are so unbelievably fucked.”