Chapter Text
Naturally, life would begin to look up for Robert, with the fact that Shroud was gone from his life to rot away in the place he deserved to be, Z-Team all back in one piece, and more importantly, he could return to his usual routine once everything was finally settled. It was a life that, while it may not be fulfilling to others, has its own benefits that he couldn't deny, making it worthwhile for him.
So he should be happy; he should be glad that things are going great for him. There's no need to worry about anything else, he thought. Yet as the days passed, he found himself growing increasingly exhausted of the life he had, was it because he felt like it wasn’t enough, or the fact that he didn’t have everything he wanted? Would his father look at him the same way he looked up at him, or would everything just be in vain like it always has been?
Such particular thoughts that haunted him, it’s no wonder the dispatcher had been taking PTO to gather himself whenever it struck.
It happened multiple times during his Mecha Man days, and he could handle it just fine.
But now? He’s running out of PTO to truly contain himself with the depressing state he’s left in because of these thoughts. Robert didn’t want to skip work without a reason, even if he’s doing it right now, but at least it's allowed!
These few days of disappearance didn’t go unnoticed by the people around him, especially Sonar, who had been wondering what had happened to his favourite (which, he’d never admit out loud) dispatcher. Sonar wondered what he was up to, if he needed to take days away from them, did the Z-Team do anything to sour his mood, perhaps?
But at the same time, this is Robert he was thinking about, that man could tear into them like they’re bread fresh from the oven and serve them up like sandwiches if he really wanted to, so surely Z-Team was out of the question.
He keeps wondering and pondering, enough to grab the attention of one of the Z-Team members, and his best friend, Malevola, whose tail slowly pokes his sides to drag the bat hybrid back to the reality they're in.
“Earth to Sonar, what got you staring off into space, huh?” Malevola asked out loud; the break room's silence was broken due to her booming voice, much to Sonar's displeasure.
“Nothing, Mal. I've just been thinking about our dispatcher.”
“The guy covering Robert? yeah, he's buns.”
“No, no, I meant like OUR dispatcher.”
Malevola lets out a knowing ‘ooooh’ before striking the bat hybrid with yet another question, as she couldn't help but smirk as she spoke.
“What got you so worked up over Robert? I didn't think you'd be missing him so badly.”
“I don't miss him, please! I just been wonderin’ what he was up to, it's not like him to suddenly take a few days off, y'know?”
“Can't a man take a day off for no reason?”
“Not when every time he comes back, he looks like he's one step closer to death's gate.”
“Now that you've mentioned it, he does look like shit nowadays.”
Malevola and Sonar exchanged a look with one another, a knowing look that they both had shared countless times, whether during work or off work, the pair always know what the other is thinking, at least half of the time they do.
“How about I visit him, bring some food to lift him up? Maybe he's dying over there,” Sonar hummed as he pushed himself off the counter he'd been leaning on, “lest he became a meal to Beef,” he declared.
Much to Malevola’s amusement as she huffed, “I don't know, I think there's more than just bringing food to him that you're leading on,” she would remark.
Sonar rolled his eyes. Well, could you really tell if he did?
“Forgive me for being concerned then.” He scoffed.
That conversation was a few hours ago, as by then, Sonar was standing in front of the apartment block where Robert resides, with cheap burgers he had for takeout in his hands, as he considered turning back, maybe Robert was fine and needed time away from the team, that's all.
Yet another part of him was screaming at him to go and check out the man, maybe he was really dead, and Beef was eating away at him— it's possible, that dog was a fat one too!
So there Sonar was standing in front of the door as he hesitated for a moment, before knocking on the door and waiting patiently as best as he could. He could hear Robert scrambling inside the apartment, possibly trying to make himself look presentable, as when he answered the door, the bat hybrid gawked at his looks.
“Holy hell, dude, you look like absolute shit.”
“Don't have to tell me twice. Why are you even here, Sonar?”
Dmmn it, He didn't think that far ahead when it comes to Robert questioning him, so much for planning ahead, which he's lacking at this moment.
He promptly lifted up the bag filled with burgers, and a grin flashed across his face as he shook it slightly.
“I figured you might need a pick-me-up, so I got you something to eat… since y'know, you've been absent these past days.”
“Is this one of your little pranks, or something else cause I didn't expect this?”
“Can't a man treat his dispatcher to some burgers?”
“Not when it's out of the blue, but I'll take it.”
Robert begrudgingly gestured for the bat hybrid to let himself in, as once he did enter the apartment, the state of it was awful— it was already awful with the lack of furniture, but the smell of trash piling up stung his sensitive nose; he could cry at this scent!
Sonar raises an eyebrow at the other, taking in the sight of the man before him as he honestly looks worse for wear; it's like a completely different person stands right in front of me.
“Look, don't judge me.”
“It's hard not to, Robbie.”
“I don't know what to say or do. If you're here to just drop off these burgers and go, I'll take it.”
Sonar stared at him for a moment. A part of him shouldn't really care that badly about Robert, that he's a grown man and he definitely could have taken care of himself, but also, it's hard not to judge the situation that he's seeing beforehand.
Robert didn't have to keep him on the team when the cutting happened, so the fact that he sees potential in him and was willing to help him grow as a person was more than enough to land him on Sonar's good side.
It's also why he's here, to repay a debt of some kind that he felt like he hadn't fulfilled just yet. If it meant he could help a struggling man, then why shouldn't he? Isn't that what superheros does, to help?
“If you need someone to talk to, you can dial me up.”
Sonar mumbled as he set down the burgers he brought onto the countertop, avoiding any sort of eye contact as he continued.
“I am a great listener, Mal said I am, so… If Robert Robertson needs to cry his heart out, I'm willing to listen.”
He didn't know what to expect, but he didn't expect Robert to stare at him, almost bewildered by the statement he heard; it was like talking about his feelings meant a death penalty to the man before him.
Robert mustered a chuckle; he didn't know what to say or do, but simply laughed at the statement.
Nobody needed to know what goes on behind the scenes.
“I appreciate it, Sonar. I really do… but I think all I need is time alone from everyone else.”
“I'll be back tomorrow, don't worry about it.”
Sonar didn't believe it, even as he was on his way back to the apartment he shared with Malevola, he didn't trust a single word that left Robert's mouth.
How can someone so obviously suffering pretend like nothing is happening? He wasn't stupid; you don't just crumble up like how Robert did out of the blue and then bounce back as if nothing had happened, even he had his own time being downed like an absolute loser, and it took him forever to climb back up like the champion he is, so how could Robert just do this like its an everyday thing for him.
But what, he was going to say that in his face and then get kicked out for pissing Robert off? That was out of the question.
So when he sees him tomorrow, he's most definitely going to try to pry some information out of Robert, whether he likes it or not.
That was his mission for tomorrow, not making sure the city is safe, but to make sure that Robert is safe from who knows what, himself, he supposed.