Archive of Our Own ^beta

“The team told me I’d find you down here,” Robin heard a voice call, the girl sighing heavily.

“I was wondering when they’d send someone after me…”

“Honestly, I would've been here sooner if I hadn't been in a meeting. Golem was still hanging outside when I got here. He’s the one who called me really… He wanted me to come in to check on you,” She heard Blazer reply, flipping up her mask to see the woman standing there with Beef happily wriggling in her arms. However, from the corner of her eye she could see the door to the lab quietly open and then shut, proof that Invisigal had been there for god knows how long. For some reason, Robin found herself softening at the thought that she decided to stick around. Usually, Invisigal would just annoy her to her wit's end, but instead the girl just decided to watch Robin to make sure nothing went wrong. Robin still felt dizzy and sore from her time at the bar, holding her head a bit as she sat up from her place on the staircase.

She knew she looked a mess.

Prism had told her so when Robin was helped into someone’s car.

“Here. Hold a Beef. It’ll make you feel better. You’re looking a bit rough- You've also got a bit of blood... Uh... Everywhere,” She joked, smiling at Robin awkwardly as she quoted something that Waterboy probably told her. Beef was struggling to get out of her arms either way, trotting towards Robin once he was on the floor and pawing at her feet. She smiled, picking up her dog and holding him close as she allowed Beef to lick at her cheek. She found herself chuckling a bit, attempting to brush her messy hair out of her face with little success.

They stood there for a moment, Blazer looking Robin up and down as she tried to sooth herself. Of course Blazer has had the time to get a good look at Robin. She knew that the brunette had soft freckles lining her cheeks, the longest natural lashes she had ever seen, and slightly chapped rosy lips. Robin’s teeth were slightly off centered, crooked in a way that was almost endearing and totally Robin. Blazer knew it was probably from all the fights Robin has gotten into the past couple of years, but she found herself actually liking the small imperfection. Of course, Blazer would never admit to the staring out loud, but it was clear she did it. Even so, with her staring, it was hard not to notice all the things that happened to be wrong with Robin.

And these weren’t the good kind of wrong.

These differences made Robin look like she was fighting every single day of her life.

And maybe she was.

Her hair was messy, no matter how Robin tried to brush it, tie it, or even cut it. Her shoulders were constantly hunched, and when Robin took the time to actually stretch after sitting at her desk for too long, her body crackled like a firework. When they happened to be in the locker rooms at the same time, Blazer had gotten more and more looks of the scars that mauled the girl’s body, even noticing how her ribcage didn’t look right. It wasn’t like Blazer was a medical professional in any way, shape, or form. However, the way that Robin’s ribs seemed to collapse inwards on one side while being crooked on the other would cause anyone with eyes some alarm.

“So…"

"Uh huh..."

"You told them you’re Mechaman?” Blazer asked, Robin wincing a bit.

“Y-Yeah. I did. It- It didn’t go too well…”

“Did they hurt you?”

“No! They- I told them and… I mean- It did go- It kinda went well? I don’t know. They all seemed to be… Alright with it… Other than Flambae. He shot fire at me and flew away. I think Prism told me she was going to try and look for him tonight and talk some sense into him. He wasn’t too happy- But when is he ever,” Robin explained with a hollow chuckle, moving to sit in one of the nearby chairs. Blazer let out a small hum before sitting in one of the other chairs, both girls looking up at the huge Mechaman suit that Robin had been working on.

She could hear it now…

“Robert! You’re not using the right tools- It’s supposed to be this! A pilot should always know which tool to use on their mech! I thought I told you that,” Her father yelled at her, tossing her a wrench right as she sat up from underneath her robot. The wrench hit her right in the stomach, the girl flinching a bit before grabbing the cold metal with a slight glare. She had looked up at her father, glancing over at Chase who was reclining on one of the law chairs they had set out before she set the wrench aside.

The young man didn’t say a word, simply looking away.

“I wasn’t fixing a part that needs this wrench though. I was working on-” She was cut off by her father’s yelling.

“Are you talking back to me boy?” He shouted, Robin’s face dropping as her eyes narrowed.

“I guess not. Cause I’m not a boy,” She shot back.

She had been trapped in her room for hours after that.

That was just one of the many instances that Robin wanted to forget about her dad.

He was a good man on the surface, Robin thinking back to the person Robbie Robertson was. In the eyes of the public, he was probably the pinnacle of masculinity. Robin’s father was courageous, powerful, and had more determination than most men she had ever met. Most importantly, he was supposed to be her father. She was supposed to love him since he was the one who raised her ever since her mom was out of the picture. He was the one who stuck around, not her. He was the one that kept a roof over Robin’s head, food on the table, and provided the money that kept her feeling important. Robin’s father was one of the sole things that kept her alive for this long.

Still…

No matter what she tried…

Those memories just wouldn’t go away.

Robin rolled her shoulder slightly, the joint feeling tight as she let out a sharp exhale. A part of her remembered the time when her arm had been dislocated when the Mechaman suit went out of control, a shiver running through her spine as she shook her head slightly. Instead of trapping herself in her own head, she looked down at Beef, petting the dog as much as she could to hide the shaking of her hands. She was so focused that she didn’t even notice Blazer shifting her gaze from the mech towards her, the blonde frowning a bit when she saw just how distraught Robin was.

“You know- I was surprised when I saw that you were a woman,” She said, Robin laughing a bit.

“Yeah… I remember. To be honest, I was surprised it took you that long to realize it. I didn’t even hide my voice with you. God- You should’ve seen your fucking face. You stared at my boobs the entire time I got changed. Then you started staring at my tights and ass when I was trying to put on those damn khaki pants. You really know how to flatter a woman,” She replied, Blazer immediately going red in the face as she looked down in shame and embarrassment.

“That wasn’t where I was going with this-”

“Sorry- Bad timing. What did you want to say?” Robin redirected, Blazer sighing.

“When I found out that you were a girl- I was really surprised,” She started to say, Robin humming a bit as she listened.

“I’m honestly really impressed. You carry yourself so well as a man and when you talk you are able to change your voice with a drop of a hat. It’s honestly impressive. We’ve known one another for a while now… And I haven’t really done anything to really-... Get to know you. Now thinking about it, it makes me feel like- Like I’m doing something wrong by you in a way.. I want to fix that as soon as I can and I think I know where to start,” Blazer said with a small shrug, Robin looking over at her confused. The other still just smiled, holding her breath as she reached for the red crystal. She held it in her hand tightly before surrounding it with her hand, taking it off with a huge flash of light.

Robin flinched a bit as the lights blinded her, Beef wiggling in her lap. By the time the lights cleared, Robin found herself looking at a brunette version of the girl she knew. Her hair was long, silky in a way that Robin was never able to get hers. Even without the mask, Blazer’s make up was basically flawless in every way. Robin stared at her before immediately looking away, feeling a bit awkward that she was slightly attracted to the woman that was supposed to be her boss. On the other hand, Blazer seemed mostly unphased as she flipped her hair over the back of her shoulder.

“My real name is Mandy… It’s nice to meet you Robin,” She said simply, leaving the other at a loss for words.

***

“You think Robin is gonna come in today?” Sonar asked, Malevola shrugging a bit as they sat there in the conference room.

“You saw what happened last night. I’d be surprised if she came in this week. It was a mess- She deserves a break if anything,” She replied, Sonar letting out a small disappointed huff. It was weirdly quiet for them, Prism sitting nearby with her arms crossed and her legs propped up on the table. Her phone was set down on the table nearby, face down as she just glared at it. She wasn’t speaking with anyone, and it was clear that she was pissed beyond any of their comprehension. No one chose to speak to her, but they all noticed the absence of a certain fire hero.

That wasn’t good.

“I saw Blazer flying away with Robin last night. I haven’t seen them since,” Golem said simply, all of them glancing at one another around the table. Even Invisigal seemed unsure, having heard nothing from either of the girls. She knew that Robin saw her leaving the lab. She knew that Blonde Blazer probably knew she was there last night.

But she didn’t know anything else.

“I- I saw- I saw Blazer th- This morning- Today… She- Uh… Drove! In a car. Her car is- Outside. In the parking lot,” Waterboy stuttered out, Invisigal giving him a small smile at his attempt. It was clear the boy was slightly nervous, more water rolling off his suit than normal. His hair was matted to his forehead, his goggles almost slipping off his head. Still, Phenomaman patted the boy on the head, the boy chuckling a bit when he realized that he did good.

“So Robin is probably with her if she drove. Unless Blazer had to drive and drop off Robin somewhere else. Maybe after this someone can check the security cameras to see where they went after last night? I’d rather know where Robin is than trust the word of someone who wasn’t present last night,” Coupe said, one of her knives threading through her fingers. Punch Up nodded, looking towards Sonar who nodded back. It was easier for Sonar to look through the SDN database since he actually had a computer here in the office.

“Or maybe we can respect Robin's privacy?” Invisigal offered, all of them glancing at her before going quiet.

They all sit there alone for a while until they hear the door to the conference room slowly clicking open. All of them seemed to perk up a bit as Blonde Blazer slowly entered the room, squeezing through the crack in the door and clearly talking to someone on the other side. The woman was smiling and even laughing a little, smiling at the room brightly like nothing had happened the night before. When she looked out at the group, her smile faltered a bit when she noticed Flambae was nowhere to be seen, but held her composure as she addressed the rest of the group.

“I heard about what happened last night,” She started, all of them looking away awkwardly.

“No one is in trouble-” She started, only for Prism to speak up.

“Not even Flambae?”

“No… Not even Flambae. The main thing I need to talk to you all about is the basics. I’m sure you all know this, but there are rules when it comes to heroes revealing their secret identity. You can’t tell anyone that Mechaman is really a woman. You also can’t call Robin anything other than her name while she is out of costume. No jokes. No beating around the bush. Nothing. You may ask Robin about her time as a hero in a controlled setting, however you may not pressure her into answering anything,” Blazer listed off, all of them nodding along. Then the woman seemed to get more serious, her eyes narrowing as she took a deep breath.

“Now. I know you all like to show tough love. You all make fun of one another. You bully one another… And I know that Robin somehow handles it and even responds to it in some way. But after learning a bit more about her, I hope you all have the decency to never call her certain names ever again. That means no calling her a bitch. If I hear it? You’re being put on suspension immediately,” She said seriously, Prism glaring at her a bit.

“We’re rehabilitated villains. Not monsters.”

…

“Where is Robin?” Invisigal asked, some wavering entering her voice.

“Well- That’s the second thing I wanted to talk about,” Blazer tried to say, all of them sitting up.

“What happened? Is she alright?” Prism was the first to speak.

“What’s wrong with our dispatcher?” Punch Up demanded, his fist lightly hitting the table.

“Is Robin Robertson alright?” Phenomaman finally spoke.

“Guys! Robin is fine-” Blazer was finally able to get out.

They all seemed to let out a huge sigh of relief.

“If anything she’s doing more than fine. She’s fighting to get better. We were talking after what happened last night and some personal things were brought up… Personal things that I’m sure you all are aware of now. With that in mind, I think you all will support the change,” Blazer said, a smile slowly forming on her face as she floated towards the door. Without another word, she was pulling the door open, all of the heroes looking at the figure standing there.

Robin was there in all of her glory, her hair brushed and neatly tied up into a ponytail. Her bangs were nicely trimmed and almost perfectly framed her face. She had light makeup on her face, clearly Blazer’s work since Robin was looking down in embarrassment. She was dressed in a better fitting SDN uniform shirt and a light brown khaki skirt, black leggings going into her nice shoes. This was the most put together they have ever seen the girl, Robin taking a deep breath before looking up at the team. At first she wasn’t sure what to say, looking at Blazer before rubbing her hands on her thighs.

Wearing a skirt was slightly unnatural to her.

But it wasn’t bad…

“Uh- Blazer helped me out. I-... I’m sorry for last night,” Robin said, Invisigal’s eyes widening when she noticed just how much higher Robin’s voice had gotten. By the looks on the other hero’s faces, she wasn’t the only one who noticed. Without another word, Invisigal quickly got up from her seat, grabbing Robin and pulling her into a tight hug. The anxiety seemed to melt out of Robin’s form almost immediately, Robin hugging Invisigal as tightly as she could.

With that, all of them seemed to stand and approach their newly dressed dispatcher. Robin found herself smiling widely as Prism commented how good she looked in the new outfit. Malevola even held Robin’s face and complimented her hair and her makeup, the demon going above and beyond when it came to complimenting the girl. Even Coupe was stepping forward, eyeing Robin up and down before giving the brunette a small smile and a thumbs up.

On the other hand, Punch Up was letting out a huge belly laugh, putting one of his huge hands on Robin’s arm. Sonar was on her other side, giving Robin a small nod as his ears twitched slightly. Waterboy stood a bit further away, but if the redness on his cheeks meant anything, it was clear that he approved of the new look. Once all of the heroes seemed to part, Phenomaman approached Robin and pulled her into a huge bear hug, just like he had when she had told the alien that he was being added to the team. Robin let out a small yelp, but in the end was hugging the alien right back with a weak laugh.

“Thanks guys… I really appreciate you all. Fuck- I can’t cry now- Blazer put eyeliner and mascara on me- It’s gonna run like a mother fucker,” Robin joked, all of them laughing with her. The brunette looked at her team and felt like a huge weight was lifted from her shoulders, the girl looking around in an attempt to spot Flambae. However, when she found the man missing, her smile faltered a bit. She looked towards Prism, the woman seemingly already expecting the other’s question.

“I couldn’t catch up to him last night. He flew away and I have no clue where he is. He hasn’t come back to his car or arrived at his apartment. I have someone keeping watch over there so I know the exact moment he shows up. That fucker might be a literal hot head when he’s angry- But he’s surprisingly hard to find when he doesn’t want to be found,” Prism explained, Robin frowning a bit. Before she could say anything else, Chase was at the doorway, sticking his head in as he breathed heavily. Beef was there at his feet, Chase pausing a bit when he saw Robin’s new look. He smiled a bit before turning to Blazer, worry crossing his features as he spoke.

“Something happened- We need all of the heroes out. Right now. You all need to see this,” He said, all of them filing out of the room. In the main office area, they all turned to the television, Robin’s heart dropping when she saw whose face covered the screen. She could immediately recognize the metal mask and the bright red light that flashed from the mask’s eye.

Shroud.

***

Robin found herself sporting an awful headache as she stared at the red flashing all over her computer screen. She was about to say something into her headset, but found her computer screen turning black within seconds. Her heart dropped as the world around her seemed to shift, a loud voice booming on the loud speaker. Robin couldn’t fully understand what the voice was saying, but found herself pausing when she saw everyone heading out the front door. Something in her chest was telling her that something was wrong, Robin locking eyes with Chase.

The man looked at her before glancing back at the door, hesitating as he was about to follow the crowd. He wanted to yell at Robin to get moving, the girl clearly able to get out of the building faster than he could. He wanted to tell her that it wasn’t safe and that she should just follow everyone out of the building instead of doing whatever she was planning to do. A part of him even wanted to demand her to follow. Still, he knew that look in her eyes way too well. He used to ignore that look, the man thinking back to that younger girl that was dressed in clothes that clearly weren’t made for her. He could remember turning the other way as Robbie yelled at his child for simply existing, Chase looking at this now fully grown woman standing before him.

He saw Robin.

He ignored her before.

He wasn’t about to do it again.

“Go. I’ll take care of Beef. Do what you have to do,” He said simply, picking the dog up before following the crowd out the door.

Robin stared as Chase left, her breath caught in her throat as she took in a shaky breath. Still, she recentered herself and was immediately running towards the back staircase. She flew down the stairs the best she could, her hand gripping onto the railing. She threw open the door that led her to the floor where all the labs were, the girl looking around before sprinting towards Royd’s place. However, she paused at the doorway when she saw Royd holding a figure dressed in all black. They were tusseling in the lab area, Robin glancing over at the finished mech suit before running over to Royd.

“Woah! What is going on?!” She demanded, screaming over the sound of the sirens.

“I caught ‘im! He try steal your mech suit. He played all of us!” Royd yelled, Robin squinting through the darkness to see just who he was holding.

Flambae.

“That’s not what I was doing! I’m trying to help all of you! I’m here to help Robin!” He demanded, his hands lighting up with fire as he kicked at Royd’s much larger form. Luckily, before he could shoot, Royd was slamming him into a nearby worktable. The impact was hard enough to almost knock Flambae unconscious, the man letting out a small shout of pain. The fire was extinguished in a heartbeat, Royd tossing the man onto the ground before quickly moving towards one of the draws nearby. Robin just stood back, Flambae holding his head as he tried to stop the world from spinning.

“No! You a liar. Never again,” Royd rambled as he grabbed a pair of reinforced SDN handcuffs. He was quick to cuff one of Flambae’s wrists before cuffing the other side to the workbench. Once both cuffs were shut, they seemed to glow with a bright blue light. Flambae was quick to get to his feet, holding out his hand as he attempted to summon a fireball so he could melt the cuffs.

But there was nothing.

“Don’t try. Day power dampeners,” Royd said with a heavy exhale, backing away from Flambae.

“Robin- Please you’ve got to believe me-” Flambae was quick to say, Royd scoffing before pushing the man down to the ground. Flambae tried to fight Royd away, but after getting slammed around, it was clear he was weakening. Royd reached into one of Flambae’s pockets before pulling something out, the larger man reaching his arm back before opening his hand. Robin was confused for a moment, stepping forward before gasping slightly.

“He bring da keys to steal da car, but I stop him,” Royd glared, Robin picking up the Astral Pulse from Royd’s hand. She stared down at it for a moment, holding her breath as she inspected it. Once she was certain this was the real one, she held it tightly before looking down at Flambae. She knew she looked pissed, and Flambae was quick to read her face.

“You fucking idiot! You need me! Robin-” Flambae tried to say, but Robin held out a hand.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” She asked, only for the sirens in the building to suddenly go silent.

Royd cursed as he looked up at the monitors, Robin at his side as they watched Red Ring villains surrounding the area. They had all of their guns and glowing masks, capturing almost all of the dispatchers that tried to flee the office. Robin found her heart dropping when she watched a figure grabbing Chase’s shoulder before shoving him back towards the building, the man holding Beef in his arms. Her heart was beating hard, Royd glancing at the panicking Robin before looking back at Flambae with nothing less than hatred.

“He bring dem here,” Royd said before running towards the door.

“Watch him. I go get the power back,” He continued, Robin hesitating before nodding slightly.

“You need my help!” Flambae stressed, Royd glaring at the man before looking back at Robin. The girl was so clearly unsure, gripping the Astral Pulse in her hand like it was some kind of life line. She was terrified, Royd frowning a bit before walking a bit towards Flambae. He grabbed the man roughly before pushing him back into a sitting position.

“You help enough. I going,” Royd said firmly, Flambae sneering at him.

“No- Wait…” Robin spoke suddenly, both men looking towards the girl.

“Royd, I need my suit running. Now. It’s the only chance we have. We need Mechaman back out in the field,” She said finally, Royd smiling a bit at her before looking back at Flambae. He made sure to slam the man against the counter one more time for good measure before looking back to Robin. He was quick to put a hand on her shoulder, nodding firmly as he pointed to one of the monitors.

“Ok… I go put the power back on. I move your suit to da Rec Room,” He explained, Robin nodding.

“Good luck.”

“You too Royd.”

“And ey! Don’t listen to his kine bullshit, ok? You keep him locked up and get to your suit as soon as you can,” He tagged on before finally leaving the room and running down the hall towards the room that held the building’s breaker box.

Robin silently watched Royd through the camera, the larger man running through the building as fast as he could. She stood there nervously for a little bit before looking down at Flambae, her eyes narrowing at the sight of the man. He had one hand holding his ribs as his head rested back onto the table as it lulled to the side. His hair was tied back in a ponytail but it was still a clear mess. There were rough bags under his eyes, making it clear he probably hadn’t slept at all since he left the Mexican restaurant. Instead of leaving right away, Robin found herself pulling over a chair, sitting and staring at the villain.

He looked almost pitiful in a way.

“What? Why are you staring at me?” Flambae asked, cracking one eye to look back at her.

“Why are you with the Red Ring?” Robin asked instead, Flambae scoffing.

“I’m not with them.”

“That’s kinda hard to believe when you ditch your low V-neck suit that you never want to take off for a completely black outfit with red accents. And don’t think I didn’t see your new robotic digits. Now. When you’re ready to give me an actual answer, I’ll be right here ready to listen,” Robins said plainly, motioning to the new glowing red prosthetic fingers the man was sporting. Flambae was quick to look away. Whether it was out of shame or because he got caught, Robin couldn’t tell.

Still she found that she didn’t really care.

They sat there in silence for a moment, Robin scoffing before standing when she realized that Flambae didn’t have a better answer. She could hear Flambae’s eyes following her around as she moved. She was quick to walk over to her own work bench, pulling one of the drawers open and pulling out a small bottle of pepper spray. She had bought it at a gas station a while ago as a last minute thought, knowing that many girls had pepper spray on them for emergencies. However, since she worked in a building full of superheroes, she had doubts that she would need it any time soon.

Who knew it would help her now?

“I did it to protect you,” Flambae finally spoke, Robin giving him a blank look as she leaned against the work table.

“Elaborate. Now,” She demanded.

“I was offered a spot with the Red Ring awhile ago- Before I was even arrested and signed up for the Phoenix Program… Before I met you. They’ve been wanting me around due to my powers. I-... After last night I went to them. I was angry. I felt betrayed-” He started Robin glaring at him as she watched him struggle for the right words.

“But then I saw that they had the Astral Pulse- Shroud wants to kill you! He knows who you really are and I-... I wanted to protect you. So I stole it and came right here. I had no idea he was planning on targeting the SDN. Robin- You have to believe me,” He explained, Robin looking down at him. Against her better judgement, she found herself kneeling next to him. She was well within attacking range, but Flambae clearly didn’t want to hurt her. Instead he looked her up and down and even let out a quick breath when he saw her new outfit.

“You look good-”

“Flattery will get you nowhere, asshole. You went to the Red Ring and put on their gear. You dressed like one of them- And for what?! Because you were having a fucking temper tantrum? I get it. I held information that was important. I lied to you all! I am Mechaman- But joining the villain team is not going to make anything any better! Are you kidding me?! What would the rest of the team think of your actions? What about Prism?! What would she say to you right now if she saw you in this fuck ass outfit with all the other Red Ring fucks outside knocking down our door?!” Robin stressed, pressing her finger into the man’s chest, Flambae looking away in shame.

“That’s what I thought. Fuck. You-... You are so fucking selfish… And I might be a hypocrite for saying that, but you are. I get it. You’re hurt and I hurt you, but that doesn’t mean you have to destroy the lives of others to get back at me. Honestly? I’d rather you had killed me last night than done something stupid like this,” She said, Flambae looking up at her suddenly with his gaze full of shock.

“Robin-”

“I believed in you… And now I’m starting to think it was a mistake.”

“Robin please-”

“No Flambae. We’re done here. I’ll pick you up and turn you in to Blazer when this is all over. She can decide what to do with your sorry ass after we beat Shroud,” She finished, standing before walking towards the exit, fighting every bone in her body that wanted to turn back. Flambae immediately started yanking at the cuff around his wrist to the point it was becoming excessively painful. He yanked and tried to reach for his powers, but the dampener was keeping his fire just beneath his skin’s surface. He cursed, shouting at Robin and begging her to come back.

“You don’t have powers! You need my help- Just- Let me help you- Please.”

“Goodbye Flambae.”

“Robin!”

With that Robin was rushing out of the room, Flambae shouting after her. She ran into a few random Red Ring members on the way that happened to be wandering the halls, but in the end they were really no problem. She was quick to spray one of them down and even stomp them down as quickly as she could, before stealing their gun. She then shot down anyone that was left standing, the Astral Pulse gripped safely in her hand. Eventually she made it to the Rec Room, the girl breathing heavily as her feet pounded with pain. She looked around a bit before spotting a huge figure that was covered by a sheet. She held her breath as she approached, grabbing the sheet before ripping it off.

There stood Mechman.

And with it… Robin.

The suit took a moment to scan her before it opened, Robin getting a good look at all of the buttons inside. She cursed when she realized that she didn’t have any of the aids that she usually had when piloting the mech suit. Before the crash, Robin was forced to stretch as far as she could just to reach some of the controls, eventually caving and padding the seat extra so she could reach easier. She also knew that without the pilot suit, she was more prone to getting injured from getting thrown around in the pilot chair. She knew that nothing in the suit was made for how she was now, but even so she climbed in knowing that she didn’t have much of a choice.

However, she paused when she realized that the seat had been moved forward and the seat’s shape had seemingly been changed. There was more cushioning on the back of the chair, especially near the sides of the head. The handles were adjusted to be closer to the seat’s sides and even seemed to be smaller to fit her hand size. There also happened to be a bit more leg room when she got settled into the mech’s cockpit, the girl looking around nervously as she pulled out the Astral Pulse’s container. Once secure, she looked around and reached for a flew of the buttons and switches, the action of pressing and lficking them on somehow easier than it was before the suit had gone out of commission. It wasn’t until the suit was fully online when she noticed it.

Royd had changed the interior just for her.

To fit her.

Not to fit a man.

But to fit Robin.

She felt like she could cry.

“Alright- Let’s take this mother fucker out for a spin.”

***

“Why’s everyone so tense? Don’t worry. I’m not gonna drop him. Blonde Blazer there’ll just swoop in and catch him anyway. So, yeah. No. If I’m killing this dog, I’m gonna be sure he dies,” Shroud said as he held Beef close in his arms, Robin glaring at him from inside of the suit. Shroud’s suit had been destroyed, fire burning all around them as rain fell from the sky. She was hurt, battered and bruised, but they had almost won.

And then that mother fucker got his hands on Beef.

“Know this. If you hurt him. You will die,” Robin found herself saying, feeling the weight of eyes right on her. Shroud just laughed at her comment, petting Beef lightly before seemingly glaring at her from behind his mask.

“So why don’t you… And only you Robert, fly your father’s suit up here and give me the fucking Astral Pulse. Oh. And if the rest of you surrender that would be helpful,” He stated as Red Ring members surrounded them completely. Robin flinched at the sound of her full name, hearing her team shout at Shorud on her behalf. Robin found herself hesitating for a moment, looking around at her friends before looking up at Shroud who was just staring down right back at her. She bit her lip as she thought for a moment, trying to think of some way to get out of this.

There was nothing she could do.

Her face fell slightly as she powered up the suit, flying it to land right on the rooftop across from Shroud. It landed with a soft thud, Robin sitting in her chair for a moment as she held her breath. The screen before her zoomed in on Shroud’s face, Robin staring at the screen like something, anything would change from the reality that was set before her. Even when she waited for a moment, she found that, in the end, there was nothing.

“Come on out, Robert. Don’t be shy,” Shroud taunted, Robin grabbing the Astral Pulse from the container before glancing over at the extra prototype that had been in the suit before. She stared at it for a moment before grabbing it as well, holding it in her hand before allowing the suit to open. The air around her was hot and uncomfortable, the rain sticking to her skin and soaking her hair. She glared at the man who just stood there, his mask's eyes seeming to glow brighter.

“There she is… Robert Robertson… So, predictable. I knew this little sloppy guy is your weakness. I knew you’d come out here if I had him in my possession,” He said as he petted Beef’s head. However, before Robin could speak she heard some shouting happening from the ground below. She peered off the side of the building to see a pair of Red Ring members grabbing Flambae and pushing him into the rest of the team, Robin’s eyes widening at the sight of him.

“And then I got my hands on this one. He was so angry at you… He was so angry at you for lying to him that he came to us and offered to help us. I thought he was just going to join us and that was that- But then I found the Astral Pulse that my people had grabbed… Was missing! Come to find out… This fucker actually- Ha! It’s almost funny to say out loud-... He fell in love with you,” Shroud teased, Robin glaring at him as Flambae was thrown at Prism. The woman was quick to check the man over, Flambae sporting a lot more bruises compared to the last time Robin had seen him.

“You. Your dad. Chase. You little team of turncoats… You think you can beat the bad by being good, but there’s no solving human nature. You can’t stop evil. All you can do is control it,” Shroud said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a gun. Robin froze when he held the gun right to Beef’s side, the entire world being pulled out from underneath her feet.

“You mother fucker-”

“Ah. Control yourself… Or I will kill this dog and the rest of your friends.”

She had no choice.

“This was your father’s gun. Kept it in his locker, fully loaded. Six shots. He had no clue that I was going to use it to kill him. The first bullet grazed his shoulder. I hadn’t adjusted to the adrenaline spike. The second hit his upper chest. The third burst his heart. He was laying on the floor, eyes full of fear, when I put the fourth through his face. A bit of a waste to put a fifth through that idiot's skull, but I wanted to make sure it worked after all of these years. Your father was the last person to touch this bullet… And now… There’s a 16 and a half percent it touches this fucking mutt next unless you give me the fucking Astral Pulse,” He stated, pressing the metal hard enough to make Beef yelp in pain.

“Fine!! Fine! Just- Just stop. Please- Don’t hurt him,” Robin was quick to say somewhat pathetically, stumbling forward a bit in an attempt to comfort Beef.

“I knew you would fold, but I didn’t think you would fold this easily. Still, there isn’t a thing that you can do that I haven’t modeled out. And once I have the pulse, I won’t need to predict. I’ll just know. So don’t fuck around, Robert. Not right now,” He says as Robin crossed the empty space and stood right in front of him. Shroud carefully shifts the gun in his hand, freeing up his palm enough so he can take the Astral Pulse from the girl. Robin looks down at his hand before taking in a sharp breath.

“Same time. I want a fair exchange,” She stated simply, giving a worried look towards Beef.

“Just don’t be an idiot and try and give me the shitty prototype. I’m a bad person, but at the end of the day, I’m a man of my word. Give me my pulse and no harm will come to your stupid dog or the people you believe are your friends. You all hear that?” Shroud shouted down to all of his minions on the ground, Robin glancing at them for a moment. She could hear some of them cheer, others calling her names as they looked up at her from below.

“I’ve been through all the game theory on this moment a thousand times. I know everything that’s going to happen. I’m not steps ahead. I’m miles… So don’t fucking test me. I know who you are, Robert,” He finished, Robin holding her hand out for a moment before looking over at Beef. She felt her heart beating out of her chest and she tried her best to stop her hands from shaking too much. She felt the universal timer in her head running out, Shroud only having so much patience as he waited for her to hand over the Astral Pulse.

Meanwhile, she was searching her head for answers, trying to think of what her father would do if he was facing Shroud like this. She thought back to all he had done during his life, thinking back to all the stories he used to tell her about his adventures as a hero. She knew her dad was smart, so he had to have some kind of answer for what the hell she could do. She tried to get into her dad’s head, trying to bring up anything from her lessons with him that would lead her to the right answer. Even so, she found that there was nothing that Robert Robertson had told her that could ensure that no one got hurt.

Then, something clicked.

Chase was right before…

Her father was dead. Killed by Shroud.

He hadn’t won.

Robert Robertson the II was gone.

So why was she looking to him for any kind of answer?

In the end Robin dropped both pulses into Shroud’s hand, the two glass capsules clinking together in the man’s palm. Before the man could process anything, she was quickly grabbing Beef and taking multiple steps back, putting more and more distance between her and Shroud. Her heart was beating violently, the girl unable to hear anything over the rushing of blood in her ears. On the other hand, Beef practically leaped into her arms as she held him close, Shroud dropping the gun to ensure that he caught the pulse in his hand. However, when he saw that he was holding two objects, he looked up at Robin with pure confusion and frustration.

“What the fuck is this, Robert?” The man asked, Robin glaring at him.

“My name is Robin, you fuck. And you said you wanted the Astral Pulse. I gave it to you. One of those is it,” She stated simply, holding Beef close and scratching the dog behind the ear. It was silent for a moment, Shroud staring down at the two pulses in his hand before a weird growling sound seemed to come out deep from his chest.

“They look fucking identical, Robert,” He said, Robin rolling her eyes.

“Look, you’re right… I can’t outsmart you, Shroud. Cause, you know what? I’m not my dad… And not even my dad could outsmart you. If he could? He wouldn’t be six feet in the fucking ground. Even so, I’d like to think that he was a pretty smart guy. But guess what? Just because I’m not a smart guy doesn’t mean that I’m not my father’s daughter. The only way to keep you from knowing what I’m doing, is to not have any idea what I’m doing. Which… Honestly? Is how I feel all the fucking time,” Robin explained with a chuckle, bouncing Beef in her arms.

“But in the end I trust my gut and I take my best guess… Just like you used to do. Before you plugged all those fucking Christmas lights into your head. Before you were afraid to make your own decisions… Elliot,” Robin finished, Shroud staring her down as she just stood there tall. She even found herself smiling a bit as she moved back towards her mech suit.

“Sure. I may die today or tomorrow… Maybe even a few years from now. I don’t know what’s going to kill me, whether it’s another week’s villain or just old age. But I’ll die my father’s daughter. Which makes me a hero… And that makes me just as much of a Mechman as he was. Which is what he would’ve wanted. And I’m finding myself totally ok with that,” She stated, the mask around Shroud’s face slowly folding back as he threw off his black hood. He looked worse for wear, Robin’s eyes narrowing as he glared at her, tossing one of the pulse’s behind him.

“Fuck you,” He said simply, putting one of the pulses into the side of his head.

He screamed as the world around Robin seemed to go red, yellow electricity crackling around them as Shroud began to float into the air. She looked around and noticed how the other Red Ring members seemed to glow even brighter, Robin holding her breath as she squeezed Beef close. She gave a look down towards Blazer and Invisigal, both of them looking up at Robin slightly unsure. Still, Robin just stood her ground the best she could and waited for the inevitable.

“You feel that you fucking fucks?! I told you! I fucking tolf you clowns! You feel the power!? I see it now- I can see it all! It’s all there. Every permutation. Every-” He started to say, only to get cut off by his own gagging. Robin flinched as Shroud puked right there in front of her, the girl taking multiple steps back as he seemingly emptied his stomach. The puke was a weird glowing green color, Robin finding it hard for herself to keep her lunch down.

“Uh oh…” She still said with a small laugh.

“Fuck! Wait-” Shroud hesitated before puking more.

“Just a hunch- But I’m starting to think you guessed wrong.”

And then the sound of puking was everywhere.

“This can’t be-”

“You know… Someone has to clean this up, right? And I refuse to let it be me. I’m new to this girl thing, but I refuse to be someone’s maid,” Robin joked, Shroud somehow getting onto his own two feet. He glared at Robin as he swayed back and forth, ripping the pulse from his head before chucking it into the nearby debris.

“You son of a bitch-” He started, only for Robin to laugh.

“I told you! I’m a daughter. A daughter of a bitch? Sure. I can agree with that part. But come on. Don’t be mad. You lost. It happens,” She stated, turning around so she could drop Beef off into the mech. She didn’t even notice that Shroud had gotten his hands back on his gun, pointing it right at Robin as Beef barked at her happily from his place inside of the suit. By the time Robin heard the click and turned around, it was already too late.

“Sorry, kid. We both lose,” He said, pulling the trigger.

The world seemed to move in slow motion, Robin standing in front of Beef to lessen the chance of him getting shot. She knew that there was no way for her to get out of the way in time, Robin closing her eyes as she waited for the bullet to rip through her. However, when the bullet hit her shoulder, she found that something had slowed it down. She was still knocked to the ground, but she was alive, the girl reaching up and holding the blood soaked bullet in her hand. However, she immediately forgot about it when she spotted a figure on the ground.

“Fuck! You idiot! Why did you do that?! You didn’t have to do that- Shit!” Robin shouted as she pressed her hands onto Flambae’s wound. He just looked up at her with a smile, flashing his missing tooth before his eyes seemed to become glassy.

“Well I guess I can still be surprised,” Shroud said with a weak chuckle.

And all Robin saw was red.

She charged at Shroud and found herself beating the man into the ground. Even when her knuckles started to bleed, she beat in the man’s face in. It didn’t matter that he was bloody and bruised and barely able to form another word. She just kept punching him, hearing chaos break out down below. She held both hands above her head, ready to bring down her full weight onto the man’s face, but then Shroud finally seemed to find his words.

“Please-” He murmured, Robin hesitating.

She thought back to Chase.

Back to her father.

And then stepped away.

She ran over to Flambae, cursing as she forced the man to sit up. He flinched a bit, but that meant that he was alive. He grimaced as he grabbed onto Robin’s wrist, the girl glaring at him harshly enough that he quickly let go. After taking another look at his injuries, she found that Flambae didn’t seem to be too injured, the bullet going in and out cleanly. Even so, Robin couldn’t help but feel worried as she held Flambae in her arms. She didn’t have enough strength to get him to his feet, looking down as the rest of the Z-Team got rid of the rest of the Red Ring members.

“You’re such a fucking idiot-” She stated again, Flambae chuckling weakly.

“What? What could you possibly be laughing at right now, asshole?” She asked angrily, the man looking up at her as the sun started to rise in the distance. Suddenly the clouds seemed to part in the sky, the world becoming that much brighter. The Red Ring was defeated and, by the time Robin looked down again, most of them were passed out in the dirt. Robin felt her shoulders relax and her breathing becoming a bit easier, her heart slowing down as she looked out to the sky.

“I knew you didn’t mean it.”

Robin froze for a moment, looking down at Flambae.

“What?” She asked, confused.

“What you said before in the labs. You still believe in me. You care about me- Even if you left me there handcuffed to a fucking table,” He stated simply, Robin staring at him before letting out a weak laugh herself. The adrenaline in her body seemed to fade as she laughed a bit more, ignoring all the eyes that were probably on her.

“Damn… What gave that away?” She said through her laughter.

“The tears you’re shedding on my behalf are a dead give away,” He said simply, Robin suddenly aware of the tears running down her face.

Fuck. She was crying?

“Shit- I’ve never cried this much in my life-” She said only to be cut off by Flambae grabbing the back of her neck.

Who knew she would end up kissing the idiot right back.

“Fuck yeah!! Get it baby!!” She heard Prism yell from below.

“Ooooooooh- Lock that shit down Robin!” Invisigal cheered, Malevola laughing right next to her.

“Ew! You guys are so nasty,” Punch Up found himself saying, even though he was holding Coupe close.

“Woah!! Woah! We just finished the fight! Why are we sucking each other's faces off?!” Sonar teased, Robin flicking them off as she held Flambae close.

And at that moment she knew.

Everything was going to be alright.