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>>> ──────── .✦➤
Flambae’s always been open about his family. He’ll tell anyone who will listen how proud he is of his niece and constantly show Prism pictures of her at her dance recitals. When he feels like being a dick, he’ll compare Robert with his niece just to piss him off.
“Wow, Bobert, my niece could hack faster than that.”
“Robert, my niece could give better directions than you.”
“Is that the best insult you could think of? My niece could do better.”
Safe to say, Robert was eager to meet this girl that Flambae hypes up so much.
>>> ──────── .✦➤
“So, when am I going to meet your boyfriend?” Aria asks, staring up at her uncle with those expectant hazel eyes. When Flambae looked at her, he just saw his sister’s attitude staring back, a carbon copy he always called her.
She was wearing her favourite red sweater with the flame heart design on the front, paired with a light blue skirt and her red converse. Her curly brown hair pulled back into a high ponytail; one strand left loose in front of her face to match her uncle. She had her hands on her hips like a parent about to scold him for sneaking out, Flambae didn’t miss the Mecha Man bracelet on her wrist either – little traitor.
“Wha- I don’t have a boyfriend, Aria.” Flambae defends, crossing his arms over his chest.
“No? But mom said you were having a lover’s spat again. Let me tell you, Uncle Chad, if you need me to kick his ass, I will.” She replies, eyes staring right through to his soul. God she was determined.
“Your mom is nosy as hell, we’re not having a “lover’s spat” and he’s not my boyfriend. But I guess you can come meet the team if you want.” He relents with a sigh, checking her backpack that was on the kitchen table to make sure she had everything.
His sister had begged him to watch Aria for the day after being called into work suddenly, and well, Flambae couldn’t say no to his niece. Only problem was that he couldn’t take time off work, so Aria had to come with him. He was already planning on handing her to Blazer, trusting her to look after his precious niece, but it seemed Aria was dead set on meeting Robert of all people.
“Yes! I get to see Prism!” Aria cheers, whole demeanour flipping as she rushes to the door. “Hurry up, Uncle Chad! You’re so damn slow!”
“You have a horrible mouth on you, kiddo, wonder where you learnt that shit from.” He grumbles, slinging the backpack over his shoulder and herding her outside.
>>> ──────── .✦➤
“Woah, this place is huge!” Aria exclaims the moment they walk into SDN. People were milling around, dropping off files and signing in, Aria’s eyes flickered over everything, amazed by it all.
Flambae rests a hand on her head and ruffles her hair teasingly. “Yeah, yeah, c’mon. You’ll have time to explore later.” He guides her towards the reception desk, signing himself in before filling out the paperwork for Aria’s visitor pass.
The lady at the desk smiles at Aria warmly. “Hi, sweetheart, welcome to SDN, you here to meet some heroes?”
Aria perks up and nods, standing on her tiptoes to peek over the edge of the desk. “Yeah! Uncle Chad says I can meet the Z-Team, Miss Blazer and Robert!”
The lady chuckles in amusement. “Well, that sounds like fun, just remember to keep this with you at all times, okay?” she turns, grabbing a green visitor lanyard and temporary visitor pass and hands it to Aria. “Enjoy your day, sweetheart.”
“Thank you!” Aria beams, taking the pass from her and hooking it around her neck. She was missing one of her top teeth, ironically in the same place as Flambae, which made the lady giggle quietly.
“Alright, kiddo, second floor,” Flambae says, hand on her back to guide her into the elevator. “You’ll meet Blonde Blazer first and she’ll give you a tour. Just don’t overwhelm her, okay?”
“You got it, Uncle Chad!” Aria chirps, smile never leaving her face as the elevator takes them up to the second floor. She was practically buzzing with excitement as the doors open, wanting to run around and explore the entire building.
Before them stood Blonde Blazer in her hero costume, looking ever the powerful badass she was. Flambae could appreciate an attractive woman when he saw one. She had her arms crossed over her chest, a soft smile on her lips as she looks at a stunned Aria.
“You must be Aria, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Blonde Blazer, but Blazer is fine.” She greets warmly. “Welcome to SDN, would you like a tour?”
When Aria doesn’t move, Flambae ruffles her hair again. Immediately she swats at him with a huffy pout. “Don’t embarrass me in front of Miss Blazer!” she hisses at him before turning to Blazer with a small smile. “I’d love a tour, thank you.”
Mandy chuckles in amusement at her sassy remarks. “I like you already, Aria. Let’s start with the Z-Team, shall we?”
Aria eagerly nods, taking Blazer’s offered hand and following her through the adjacent hallway to the meeting room where the heroes meet before shifts. The ten-year-old noted all the large doorways and wide walkways, assuming some of the heroes were unnaturally tall. It did make her a little nervous considering she was only as tall as Blazer’s stomach, but she swallowed her nerves, reassuring herself that Blazer would keep her safe no matter what and Uncle Chad was somewhere in the building.
Entering the meeting room, Aria wasn’t sure where to look first. She counted nine people of varying backgrounds all staring at her like they had never seen a child before. It was unnervingly silent until the woman with two-toned hair piped up with excitement.
“Holy shit! Is that Aria?”
Blazer nods, though looks annoyed by the swearing. “Yes, this is Aria, she’s here for the day since Flambae is busy. She wanted to meet you all.”
Aria, who had taken to admiring the woman in front of her, suddenly perks up. She gasps loudly which startles some of the others. “Prism!”
“Aria!”
“Oh my God, it’s really you! Uncle Chad talks about you so much!” she beams, bouncing on the balls of her feet giddily. She had wanted to meet Prism ever since Flambae mentioned she was his best friend. “You’re so cool! Will you be my best friend too?”
Prism laughs fondly at her and nods. “Of course, kiddo! You’re the coolest person ever, don’t tell your uncle I said that.”
Aria beams, nodding as if keeping a secret. With the knowledge of who Aria is, the team eased up and started introducing themselves to her. She took a liking to Punch Up and Coupé almost immediately, Punch Up was funny and Coupé was a badass who looked cool. She liked Malevola but was a bit wary of her, she was determined to look past the stereotypes of demons though and made an effort to talk to her at least.
Coming face to face with Sonar felt like a fever dream. She stared up at the half bat man inquisitively. “So… you’re the batboner guy?”
“Who the fuck—Goddamn it, Flambae.” Sonar grumbles, running a hand down his face in annoyance. “It’s Sonar, kid. Don’t forget it.”
“Sure, Batboner.” Aria replies, turning away from him to look at Golem. She heard Sonar screech followed by a thunk and Malevola cackling.
Staring up at the monster made entirely of mud, dirt, rocks and clay, Aaria tries to figure the guy out before introducing herself. When her observations come up futile, she hums. “I’m Aria, nice to meet you, clay man.”
Golem snorts, taking her tiny hand between two fingers and shaking it gently. “Same to you, kiddo. You thinking of being a hero?”
“Potentially,” she admits, smiling at him. “Still debating on it.”
Golem nods understandingly. “Fair, I’m sure your uncle’s told you stories, huh?”
“Many,” Aria chuckles. “Mostly funny ones about Robert or his missions with Prism.”
“Why am I not surprised?” Golem teases. “Well, whatever you decide to do, I’m sure you’ll kick ass at it.”
“Thanks, clay man.” Aria beams, giving him a quick hug before glancing over at Invisigal.
Now, Flambae had told her stories of Invisigal, and as much as she shouldn’t judge based on one person’s opinions, she wasn’t fond of the girl. Personally, Aria thought invisibility was the ideal superhero power it just depended on how the person used it, and from what she heard, Invisigal wasn’t using it heroically. Still, she gave her a chance.
She offers her hand to Invisigal, not smiling but not glaring either. “I’m Aria,” she introduces. “You’re Invisigal, right?”
The older girl nods, surprised Aria was even approaching her. She awkwardly shakes the girl’s hand. “Yeah, that’s me. Nice to meet you.”
Aria nods in agreement and shuffles in her spot, unsure of how to end the conversation.
Blazer, noticing her hesitance, speaks up from the door. “Aria, you want to see the dispatching area?”
She perks up, spinning around to Blazer with the excitement of a puppy with a tennis ball. “Yes! Is Robert there?”
“Yeah, you can meet Robert and Chase, they’re our best dispatchers.” Blazer smiles, guiding Aria out of the meeting room and back through the hallway.
>>> ──────── .✦➤
On the way to the dispatching section of the building, Blazer got called away for an urgent mission review and urged Aria to follow the signs until she found the dispatchers.
Aria, however, used this opportunity to explore the building more. Hands holding her backpack straps, the girl continued down the hall, making a right turn, then a left, then another right until she found herself in the locker rooms. She wandered down the middle aisle until she spotted a familiar name on one of the lockers. Her uncle had stupidly told her his locker combination in case she wanted to ditch her backpack during the day, and she was certain he hadn’t cleaned it out prior to her arrival.
Dragging one corner of the bench over to the locker, she climbed up and started twisting the lock until it popped open. She tugged the door open and felt her jaw drop. The inside of the door was littered in pictures of Mecha Man and polaroids of Flambae and the Z-Team. The top shelf, from what she could see, had a rolled-up poster hidden from eyesight, she was almost certain it was another Mecha Man poster. Beneath that was a shelf with box of hair ties, bobby pins, and matches. Hanging up was his uncle’s favourite leather jacket, gifted to him by her grandpa, she knew he treasured every imperfection.
Sitting at the bottom were her uncle’s combat boots and a few energy drink cases, nothing as exciting as the unknown poster on the top shelf. Aria hesitated for a moment; he wouldn’t miss it surely. She glances around, making sure no one is around before reaching up and desperately trying to grab the poster. Her fingers brush it briefly before she pinched it between two fingers, pulling it down and into her arms. Beaming, she opens it and, sure enough, it was a Mecha Man poster, the back of the man contrasted with the silhouette of the Mech suit. Aria had never seen this print before, where had her uncle found this? Nevertheless, she stuffed it into her backpack, making sure it didn’t crease, and closed the locker behind her. She moved the bench back to its spot before walking away as if nothing happened. Just as she was walking out, she heard the overhead alarm blaring, a red flashing light consuming the hallway.
“Attention, building has been compromised, commencing infiltration protocol. Evacuate immediately.”
Without hesitating, Aria ran straight back into the locker rooms and tried to find her uncle’s locker once again, to no avail. In her panic, she found the only locker slightly open and climbed inside, holding the door closed behind her. Huddling into the far corner, Aria held a hand over her mouth, trying to quiet her breathing in case a villain was prowling.
How she wished her uncle was here right now.
She wasn’t sure how long it was before she heard a noise, it didn’t sound like human footsteps, it was scratching, like an animal. Against her better judgement, she pushed the door open enough to peek out, she watched as a rotund black and white dog scurried over, sniffing the ground until it spots her. She gasps softly and scoops the dog into the locker with her. It wasn’t her uncle, but it was enough to ease her mind.
Closing the door again, she looks at the dog’s collar, furrowing her brows at its name. “Beef? Strange but okay.” She whispers, letting the dog lick her cheek as she holds it closer. Her fingers instinctively stroke through Beef’s fur, calming her nerves almost instantly. Out of curiosity she looks at the back of the tag.
“If lost, please return to Robert at XXX-XXX-XXX”
“Robert,” Aria breathes, relief flooding her at the familiar name. If Beef was missing, Robert would surely try finding him and in the process, her. Not how she wanted to meet Robert for the first time, but she wouldn’t complain if he came to save her.
>>> ──────── .✦➤
Aria wasn’t sure how long she and Beef had been in this locker for, but she could still hear the alarm blaring faintly from the hallway. Beef had started whining softly which tugged at her heart, to try and soothe him, she started quietly singing You’ll Be In My Heart like her uncle used to when she was upset or worried. She wasn’t sure who it was reassuring more, herself or Beef, but either way, Beef stopped whining and cuddled into her more, so she counted it as a win.
Unfortunately, as much as she tried to stay quiet, it wasn’t quiet enough and soon heavy footsteps thudded down the hallway, getting closer and closer. Aria immediately went silent, hoping the threat would pass but her efforts proved futile.
The footsteps grew closer and she heard a gruff voice call out. “I heard you in here, girly, come out, come out wherever you are.” Followed by laughter than Aria could only describe as crunchy.
Aria squeezes her eyes closed, curling her body around Beef protectively. “Please, Uncle Chad.” She whimpers under her breath.
“I know you’re in here, girl,” the voice calls out again, this time the locker door was tossed open and Aria found herself face-to-face with a man dressed all in black, carrying the largest gun she had ever seen, with a mask over his lower face. “There you are, girlie.”
Before she could blink, his hand wraps around her neck, pulling her out of the locker harshly and letting her dangle in the air. Beef falls from her lap with a whimper that breaks Aria’s heart. One of her hands grips the man’s hand around her throat, trying desperately to rip it off, her other hand clawing at his wrist. She flails her legs frantically, hoping to kick him, she wasn’t going down without fighting, not after her uncle taught her to never give up.
“Struggle all you want, kid, it’s futile. No one’s coming to save you.” The man smirks, grip tightening just to hear her gasps for air.
“Fuck… you.” She manages, gasping between words. She grits her teeth and uses her power to burn his exposed skin. It does nothing but she basks in the wince that leaves his lips.
Her panic grows when black spots linger at the corners of her vision, her attempts to regain oxygen falling flat. Without oxygen, her flailing slows to an almost stop.
Is this it? I never got to meet Robert, I never got to tell my uncle I loved him one last time, I never got to see my mama. I’m so sorry Uncle Chad, I was too weak.
Her eyes roll back, eyelids fluttering closed. Just when she thought it was over, the locker room door slammed open and suddenly the hand around her neck was gone.
Crumpled on the floor, Aria greedily gasps for air, holding her throat with a pained expression. She was so sure she was a goner, what changed?
Forcing her head up, she makes out a blurry figure sitting on top of the villain, fist slamming into his face again and again with a fury she had only ever seen her uncle possess. From what she could make out, her saviour had messy brown hair, wore a blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up and dark brown slacks. Her admiration was cut short when Beef waddled over, nuzzling against her chin worriedly. She smiles, though it’s weak, and lifts a shaky hand to pet his head.
“’m okay… Beef.” She mumbles, voice trembling as she regains her breath.
The man’s head whips around to face her the moment the words leave her lips. She can make out his concern, the furrow in his brow, the split in his lip, the bruise on his cheekbone. He looked rough.
He clambers off the unmoving man and rushes to her side. His hand, large but gentle, rests on her back, rubbing it soothingly. “Hey, kiddo, are you okay? Any pain anywhere?” his voice was warm and Aria wanted nothing more than to fall asleep to it.
She nodded nonetheless, no point in lying to her saviour. “My throat.” She replies, noting how hoarse she sounded.
The man nods and moves her hand out the way, just enough to see the developing bruise under her skin. He sucks in a breath before looking into her eyes again. She didn’t know what it was, maybe the fact that he just saved her, but Aria felt implicitly safe with this man.
“Can I carry you? There’s medic outside that can take a better look than me.” He asks, holding his arms out to her.
Aria merely nods, unable to bear the strain in her throat. She shuffles into his chest, wrapping her limbs around him tightly like a koala. One of his arms supports her weight, the other protecting the back of her head as he stands up.
“C’mon, Beef, let’s get out of here.” He says before everything dark for Aria.
>>> ──────── .✦➤
When Aria came to, she found herself in the back of an ambulance, she guessed it late afternoon judging by the darker sky. Her eyes strained against the sudden light, blinking to try and ease the pain. Glancing down at herself, she eyed the IV tube in her arm and the oxygen mask leading off to the side. She tried moving her hand, feeling it weighed down by something – or someone which happened to be her uncle. His grip was tight with worry until he noticed she was awake, then it loosened, joined by his other hand which sandwiched her smaller one.
“Aria! Holy shit, don’t ever do that to me again, you hear? Fuck, I thought…”
Aria’s eyes soften with guilt at the panicked tone in his voice. She hadn’t meant to worry him; she just didn’t know where else to go. She may not remember much of the incident, but she remembered her saviour and mentally thanked him for bringing her back to her uncle.
“Sorry.” She manages to croak through the mask, trying her best to squeeze his hand. It seemed she needed to regain her strength first though.
“Hey, no, it’s not your fault. I’m sorry, Ari, I was just so worried.” Flambae replies, laced with affection and concern. He leaned over to kiss her forehead which made her feel a lot better. “I’m so glad you’re okay, kid, your mom’s gonna kill me though.”
Aria gives a little snicker at the thought. “I’ll vouch for you.” She promises with a small smile, then perks up. “Do you know where the man went? The one that saved me?”
Flambae hesitates at that, thinking momentarily. “Man? Oh, you mean Robert?”
Aria gapes at him. Robert? The Robert saved her? Holy shit.
“Language,” Flambae teases, she must have said that out loud. “Yeah, Robert saved you, he’s getting his lip checked right now.”
“Can I see him?” she asks hopefully.
Flambae nods, ruffling her hair before walking away somewhere. Left to her own devices, Aria recalls the incident in the locker room, the way Robert didn’t hesitate once, the way he beat that man to near death to protect her. Her uncle was right about one thing; Robert really was a hero. Another thought crosses her mind, causing her to gasp.
“My backpack!”
“Looking for something?” a voice asks, her saviour climbs into the ambulance holding a familiar Mecha Man backpack in his hand.
Aria beams, pushing herself to sit up. “Robert!” she throws her arms open, begging for a hug.
To her delight, Robert accepts and wraps his arms around her, rubbing her back much like he did moments earlier. “Hey, princess, you feeling better?”
“Yeah, thanks to you. I owe you one.” She replies, burying her face in his neck.
“You don’t owe me anything, princess, and neither does your stubborn uncle. It’s what heroes do.” Robert replies, patting her head.
Another gasp leaves her lips, and she pulls away to stare at him. “That reminds me! Are you dating my uncle?”
Robert freezes momentarily before stuttering. “I- uh- what?”
“You have my blessing if that’s what you’re worried about.” She reassures, smiling cheekily at him.
He laughs, playfully shaking his head. “We’re not dating, but I’ll keep that in mind when I make my move, yeah?”
Aria nods furiously. “Can I be your wing woman? Please?”
Robert ruffles her hair with a fond smile. “Sure, princess.”
>>> ──────── .✦➤
Several Weeks Later
Aria was sat beside Robert at his desk in the office, her backpack discarded off to the side somewhere. She was leaning her elbows on the desk surface, chin in her hands as she watches the CCTV footage on screen with Robert. Since the incident, she had begged Flambae constantly to bring her back to SDN so she could hang out with Robert. He finally gave in after she pestered him for a week straight.
Right now, she was determined to be the best wing woman in history. Her uncle was on a mission to take down a group of thugs with Prism, and she was watching the CCTV with Robert to make sure they got out safely. Her uncle turns around and Aria glances at Robert.
“Tell him his ass looks good, he likes that. Preens like a peacock.”
Robert snorts but taps the pirate channel button on his headset obediently. “Hey, Flames? Your ass looks great from this angle.”
Aria giggles as her uncle figure stiffens before whipping around to stare at the security camera. “Fucking what? Run that by me again, Boberto?”
“I said, your ass looks great from this angle.” Robert smirks, knowing Flambae can’t see him. Aria tries so hard to stifle her giggles behind her hands.
“You’re so fucked when I get back, Mecha Dick.”
“Kinky.” Robert replies before switching channels. “Alright team, good job, return to HQ for lunch.”
A mix of voices mumble through the headset, relief and excitement at the idea of lunch. Robert pulls his headset off and sets it on the desk, turning to Aria with a smile.
“How was that?”
“Perfect, he won’t be able to resist you, Robbie.” Aria grins. She hops off her chair to grab her lunchbox from her backpack. She gives Beef a head pat before returning to her seat.
Sure enough, Flambae storms into the office, striding over to where Robert sat lazily in his chair watching him. He stops just short and slams his hands on the armrests, blocking Roberrt in. “Really Mecha Bitch? In front of my niece?”
Robert holds his hands up in surrender. “Hey, man, she encouraged it.”
Flambae whips his head round to Aria, who was nibbling on her apple sticks, watching the whole interaction with amusement.
“Little shit.” He mutters, turning back to Robert and sighing. “Fine, you gonna tell her, or should I?”
Robert shrugs. “Why use words?” he asks before leaning up and capturing Flambae’s lips in a deep kiss.
Aria’s squeals fill the office as she cheers louder than ever before.
“Fucking hate you, Robert.” Flambae mumbles against his lips.
“Sure, you do, babe.” Robert smirks.
>>> ──────── .✦➤
The day of Aria’s dance recital she was a nervous wreck. She had been practicing for months but with the chaos of the last few weeks, she worried something would go horrifically wrong. Her uncle tried to reassure her, but it didn’t quite ease her mind.
She stood in the wings, peeking out just enough to try and spot her family. She knew her mama would be there, phone in hand, ready to capture every moment but there was one person she was hoping would join.
Her eyes scanned the crowd until she spotted them – her uncles. Flambae sat at the back, dressed in a casual button down, jeans and leather jacket. His hair was left down, flowing over his shoulders in waves. To his left was her mama, phone in hand as predicted, but to his right was her favourite person ever. Robert sat lazily in his chair, dressed in her uncle’s black hoodie – the one with flame patterns up the arms – and dark blue jeans. His eyes were scanning the stage, searching for something. When they lock eyes, he smiles proudly and gives her a small wave.
Immediately, all of Aria’s worried dissipated and a bright smile crossed her lips. She excitedly waves back before disappearing behind the curtain.
>>> ──────── .✦➤
After the recital, Aria sprinted off the stage and towards the crowd, weaving around people until she spotted her uncle’s familiar leather jacket. Not stopping, she runs over, shoving Flambae with an excited “Move!” and throwing herself into Robert’s arms.
“Uncle Robert!” she cheers, clinging to him tightly.
He laughs, securing his grip on her. “Hey, princess, you were amazing up there.”
“You didn’t tell me you were coming!” she accuses with a playful grin.
“Wanted it to be a surprise, your uncle let it slip so I called in sick.” Robert teases.
“Wow, feeling so loved over here,” Flambae jokes sarcastically, crossing his arms over his chest.
Aria just sticks her tongue out at him. “Suck it, old man.”
Flambae lets out an indignant gasp of offense. “How dare you! I’ll get you back for that, missy.”
“Sure, can I get back to Robert now?” she jokes, electing a laugh from both her mama and Robert.
“You little shit, Robert let me at her!”
“Ah! Robert protect me!”
>>> ──────── .✦➤
Two years later
Aria had never expected her uncle to get married, especially to a superhero. She had always joked that he would end up a crazy cat man, alone in an apartment somewhere. Of course, he just had to prove her wrong in the most obnoxious way ever by marrying Robert Robertson the third, aka, her favourite hero Mecha Man.
Jokes aside, Aria loved her uncles. She was the only exception to their child-free wedding because Robert said she was essential to their relationship even existing. She was both their flower girl and Robert’s maid of honour, Prism was Flambae’s groomsman which made Aria giggle.
So here she stood, behind Robert at the altar, watching her mama walk her uncle down the aisle as Robert tried to fight back tears. She couldn’t prevent her beaming smile as they hold hands during the ceremony, finally getting the happy ending they deserved.
--
At the dinner, Aria was settled between Robert and Chase at the head table, with Prism and her mama on Flambae’s side. Robert claimed it was because they were his family now which gave her special placement at the table.
--
During the first dance, Aria was stood to the side with her mama, watching Robert and Flambae slow dance with tears in her eyes. She hadn’t expected to get so emotional, but she was just so happy for them, her uncle Chad especially.
She hadn’t expected them to glance over at her and open an arm in offering. She gasps softly, letting out a sob and rushing into their arms, holding them tightly as they sway together in the middle of the dance floor.
“I love you both so much.” She whispers, eyes squeezed shut as if she would lose them.
“We love you too, princess.” Robert whispers in return, pressing a soft kiss to her hair.
“Our little wing woman,” Flambae smiles, rubbing her shoulder. “This is all thanks to you, kiddo.”
She gives a watery chuckle as they continue swaying, her family finally complete.
>>> ──────── .✦➤