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On Broken Wings
The battle with Shroud felt as though it had raged on for hours, but it couldn’t possibly be that long. Robert was growing tired it’d been months and a coma since he had last fought in the Mech suit. The last combat he had seen had been in The Sardine and since then he’d been blown up, he'd been kidnapped and tortured he wasn’t fighting at full strength.
Not to mention the emotional toll that he’d been under, Visi had tried to help and it led to the fact that Chase was dying, his team were pissed at him for not knocking her when she was down by keeping her on the team and then there was Chad...
That entire situation was so messy, Flambae had tried to kill him after he said he was Mecha Man then flown off, he’d left a fucking get well card in the infirmary, he’d punched him at the party, he’d wrapped an arm around his shoulders when Chase was in the hospital...
If you asked Chad, he’d lie say that he only went in to laugh at Robert crying like a little bitch, but the truth is something had changed between them when he’d learned the truth. That’s how it came to be that he’d pulled him against his side, stroked his hair, spoke soothing words through Roberts hiccupping cries.
Mecha Man and Flambae fighting side by side was such a far cry from the first time that they had fought so long ago Flambae would fly around the Mech leaving burning trails behind him it worked to make distance so that he wasn’t cornered by enemies.
The battle seemed to finally be finished when that bastard Shroud was suddenly stood by the edge of the roof. He gripped Beefs collar in one devilish hand forcing the little dog to dangle over the edge of the building.
Robert's heart was in his throat the options were laid out before him deny and the dog dies comply and he lives. Shroud already planned around Chase, Invisigal couldn’t hold her breath long enough to sneak up on him, Prism could blind him possibly, but he might see it coming, Malevola could portal but that presented the same problem.
Robert flew up to him heart clenched tight his stomach in knots they made the exchange relief flooding him at the return of his companion animal.
It was going to be fine all fine, wasn’t it?
He heard the shot ring out before he even realised that Eli had the gun in his hand, he’d let his guard down for one second to look at Beef for injuries and scratch his fuzzy head.
If that’d be his last memory, he wouldn’t mind that too much, he quickly dropped him and braced for impact...which never came.
All that Robert felt was intense heat, even with his eyes closed he couldn’t block out the white-hot light in front of him he barely breathed out the single word.
“Chad?”
When he opened his eyes Flambae stood in front of him arms outstretched and protective he burned hotter than Robert had ever seen before there was a blue tinge to his flames and looking at him almost physically hurt.
He heard the gun go off again, but Chad didn’t seem to care he walked forward and gripped the barrel of the gun that Elliot still held the metal of it glowed red-hot Shroud dropped it his palms definitely burnt from the heat of it.
The roof had scorch marks in the shape of Flambae’s boots from where he’d walked, there was a cooling pool of metal.
Did he melt the bullet before it could hit me?
Another look and he spotted a similar pool. Then the gun that had threatened so much with its muzzle crushed, melted utterly useless. Shroud should be terrified, but he taunted instead.
“How long can you burn like that?”
“Long enough!”
“I doubt it you’re cooling quickly, exhausted I bet...”
The smug bastard wasn’t wrong Chad’s powers were fading stuttering out and starting again. Down below he heard sounds of fighting the red ring must have recovered and his team were dealing with them it was just the three of them on the roof no one else coming to help them.
Chad’s fire sputtered out and he collapsed looking too pale and weak Robert ran to his side he didn’t see that Shroud was typing something.
A large mechanical hand was descending towards them he heard a bitter sneer of “Two for one” at the same time as he felt scorching heat at his back, he pulled Chad close to his chest still breathing but colder than normal.
Robert wrapped his arms around them both. Ready to be crushed only to see wings of fire surrounding them both what the fuck?!
This had never happened before he didn’t have powers, he didn’t have wings he didn’t have fire, he didn’t have super strength.
But that mechanical hand was being pushed away from them both crashing uselessly to the floor. Shroud was frozen in place clearly panicked at something he could never have predicted.
Reluctantly Robert laid Chad down on the ground he was breathing softly. With long steps he marched towards Shroud flaming wings fluttering behind him he’d get answers for that later but for now his mission was singular.
Apprehend the man who had taken his father from him had almost taken everything from him he knocked him unconscious nothing more and headed back to the man he desired sitting with him pulling his head to rest against his chest.
Wings wrapped protectively around them he didn’t know how to control them, yet they were still there when Chad woke up smiling but dazed.
“Hey handsome...you, okay?”
“Fine Bob, Bob. I’m not the normie here.”
“Um about that.”
Chad seemed to take in the scene around him wide eyed and shocked but not speechless never speechless.
“Fuck did I die? You an angel or some shit?”
Robert laughed in spite of himself.
“Not an angel but I saved you think I deserve a reward for that.”
Chad cupped his cheek and pulled his face down to his own, pressing their lips together long, slow and sweet. They were both smiling like idiots when they pulled away.
“That a good enough reward?”
“Yeah.”
Came out like a sigh.
“Was wondering when you’d do that.”
“Same here bitch.”
Robert let himself relax and felt his wings retract seeming to fold back into his skin now that the danger was gone, the sensation was unlike anything he’d experienced before not uncomfortable more like bending a joint that was stiff from lack of use.
For a long time, the two of them sat on that roof in comfortable silence listening to the fighting downstairs die down the sound of sirens joined the fray shortly afterwards alongside the flashing lights of ambulances.
“We should go down there...you okay to move?”
Chad looked over himself seeming to assess the damage his suit was torn, and he was bruised but not bloody, still pale but he’d live.
“Yeah, bitch I’m fine.”
He added afterwards quietly.
“Help me up.”
Robert rose to his feet slowly; pulling the larger man up with him with some difficulty suddenly powered or not it didn’t seem to extend to the rest of him that remained just as normie as ever.
The press was there eager for a statement now that everything had settled down, he stood off on the sidelines letting his team have their moment in the sun they deserved every bit of the spotlight that they were getting right now it had been hard earned.
Chad dramatically fell into his arms once the cameras were gone acting as though he were some helpless damsel to the joy and laughter of those around them.
“Fly me home?”
Now that was a novel idea and Robert would have flown at the chance if he knew how to control this mysterious new power but as it was he was completely lost in the dark regarding their origins besides he didn’t seem super strong he probably couldn’t even lift Chad if he wanted to.
“Did you hit your head? Robert can’t fly he’s not a super.”
Chase would know the best he’d known him for forever no one else had seen them on that roof the orange illumination would have made sense to have come from Chad not him why would anyone think otherwise.
“Uh bro... turns out I am. I got like wings or some shit covered in flames.”
“Fuck off Rob, I’ve known you since you were a little boy and either you're a record-breaking late bloomer or you're lying.”
“Chase it’s not a lie, Shroud almost crushed us with his mech, and I had wings pop out of nowhere to push it away.”
“Oh, shit you’re not lying, are you?”
Blazer had been reclining on a car hood lazily sipping a beer and relaxing after the hard-won battle, but she’d clearly been listening in as she marched over to join the conversation while the rest of Z Team stood silently or speculating quietly amongst themselves.
Probably betting on if it’s true or not.
Chad had become a heavy wait against him he seemed aware of that or maybe it was the subtle shake to his arms that made him realise and get off of him.
“We’ll do some tests figure this out, but right now we should celebrate. Flambae you ought to get medical treatment.”
He gave a flippant wave of his hand and a dismissal that he was fine in response to that idea. The pair stayed close together throughout the celebrations whether Robert had powers was discussed less than whether or not they were together as crazy as that seemed.
Prism was the one to finally pin the pair together to directly ask her best friend.
“So, you and Roberto an item now or what?”
Robert felt his mouth go dry as he swallowed a mouthful of beer, they hadn’t discussed that, yet he didn’t have an answer himself.
“What do you think?”
A strong arm was slung around his shoulders then as Chad pulled him in for a kiss in front of the crowd of spectators the sounds of their friend's reactions faded into the distance paling in comparison to the press of hot soft lips against his own.
Being Mecha Man again, developing superpowers, Shroud back in jail, plus a new Boyfriend to boot it didn’t get much better than this!
The SDN Torrence branch had closed for repairs and those involved in the battle had the week off work which gave Robert plenty of time to enjoy his new relationship with Chad, home cooked meals shared cuddling on the couch, back rubs with warm hands, laughing at each other's dumb jokes. Chase ended up minding Beef more than once in order to let them have some alone time.
Robert tried and failed to get his wings to come out again during the week it seemed that they only showed up in moments of intense danger; and he couldn’t replicate those conditions without a real threat to his life and he wasn’t about to do that not when life was so great now. When he was back to work Blazer has the lab conducting tests on him trying to figure out what caused him to manifest so late in life.
Chad insisted on coming with him and holding his hand through every single test it took weeks of no answers and he was beginning to doubt that the mystery of his powers would ever be solved. It was in the field when he had underestimated a villain and overestimated himself that his powers showed up again magnificent flaming wings surrounding him like a shield. The surrounding team members were left utterly shocked and momentarily speechless.
He was rushed in for more tests in case any markers of his powers had faded before they were able to last time, the team was speculating on them the entire time. Malevola had suggested latent demon blood, Golem thought maybe magic like him, Coupe was all for romantasy ideas since they mirrored Chad’s powers. Bets were flying left and right.
Blood tests didn’t give any answers brain scans though that proved more promising. The SDN Doctors had a theory something about Mirror Neurons that he didn’t fully understand. He was hooked up to an EEG and asked questions or shown videos to try and recreate the response. Nothing outside of signature spikes showed on the monitors until they brought in Flambae.
Flambae ignited himself at the same time as there was simulated danger and suddenly his wings were there burning brightly, Flambae left but the wings stayed. They tried it again with Chase. He was still in Star Blazer form they recreated the testing scenario with him speeding back and forth. Robert focused on bringing his powers forward it was far less effortless than with Flambae’s powers but this time he had wings that moved exceedingly fast.
The scientists and doctors repeated the same test with other supers those he was close to and ones he didn’t know it seemed the closer the connection between them the easier it was for his wings to come forth.
Chase and Chad had been playfully bickering about the fact Robert’s powers first showed up because of Chad and not his oldest and best friend.
“What can I say bitch he just likes me more than you.”
“Hey not true it’s just different.”
“It’s cos their fucking dude.”
Of course that would be Courtney’s opinion on it, but if he was being honest, she might be right, he could channel Chad easier than anyone else a point of pride for his boyfriend who hadn’t let anyone hear the end of it.
However, he could also mirror other team members, Visi’s wings were invisible good for stealth, Sonar’s let him sense more, Coupe he could throw feathers like her daggers, his other teammates followed similar patterns of imitation.
Given his new powers he had to alter his flight suit to accommodate the variety of wings that he could now wield in the field. Robert fought outside of the Mech Suit more often since he had powers now and he could remote control Blue via his Vambrace.
Fighting side by side with Flambae was an additional bonus that the tabloids ate up giving them couple names and speculating on the power of love granting Mecha Man Blue superpowers for the first time. No one else aside from him and Chad knew just how right the papers were.
It was Alice who made the first joke that the Power of Love was their song months after the fight with Shroud in that same bar. They dueted it poorly on Karaoke.
Robert surrounded by his friends and family realised that he’d never been happier than he was in this moment.