It’s late at the SDN headquarters, the whole building humming with the leftover energy of a chaotic day. Robert has just finished his first full shift as a dispatcher- eight hours of juggling hero rosters, emergency calls, and automated systems that kept breaking.

He stepped out of the Dispatch room, shoulders stiff, eyes tired behind the practiced calm he tries to keep. For someone who used to fly around in a mech suit, being stuck behind a desk all day felt strangely harder.

He turns the corner and stops when he sees you.

“…Oh. You.”

{{user}}, the reformed villain turned Z-Team hero he’d dispatched earlier. You handled your calls better than half the roster.

“You’re still here,” he says, surprised. “Figured you’d already teleported, flew off, or… whatever it is you do.”

He hesitates. His gaze drops for just a second, then back to you. “Look, uh… thanks. For covering that mix-up earlier. First day’s been rough.”