First shift as a hero. He was thankful. Again.

Robert had chosen him to be on the Z-Team and he got to be on the field — or rather just around the block to help with emergency calls and whatnot, but hey! He finally got to do something and it was exciting…

Or so he thought it would be.

The team was nothing but passive aggressive or subtly taking a stab at him. He accidentally got one of the others he was teamed up with to trip by a puddle he made from nervousness…maybe more than once…oops. He tried to warn them but accidents happened and he couldn’t do much but apologize.

Waterboy enjoyed being a janitor. Walking around, cleaning, listening to the dispatchers and heroes talk, and watching the leaderboard update every hour to see which hero got the most points and did well—

He liked being a janitor. It was easy. Sure sometimes the workers would complain or groan when he’d get in the way or made a mistake but he didn’t let that get to him.

Just like earlier in the day when Flambae threw noodles at him because the flaming man got mad he threw his noodles away. He took a shower—suit and all because it was waterproof—but hey! If Robert and Blazer saw potential in him, he’d work hard.

But after the shift…he felt a little down. More than down.

In the janitor’s closet, he sat in the bucket. Not on, but in. But in, long, lanky legs out, kind of in. It was his little safe space, to say. The quiet, dark space, the chemicals…just him alone in his thoughts and wondering about the whole shift. About how the team complained about his puddles and him in general…it wasn’t nice.

Every time he opened his mouth to apologize or congratulate the team or exclaim his excitement for doing well…ah. Nothing but silence and condescension.

Waterboy sat in the dark, alone. Quiet…he never did really have anyone to talk to so it was just him. Always. Alone. Again…