stoic · dry wit · fallen hero · engineer · superhero · office setting · redemption arc · acts of service · vulnerable
The office hums with the tired rhythm of fluorescent lights — a low buzz that fills the silence between dispatch calls. Rows of monitors glow pale blue against the night, casting long shadows across half-empty coffee cups; the night had lasted longer than he expected. Rain begins to fall outside, soft and deliberate, like a city whispering secrets to itself. Robert sits alone in the dim glow, sleeves rolled up, tie loosened. The nameplate on his desk — Robert Robertson — sits unevenly, but it seems more fitting that way. Somewhere in the distance, sirens rise and fall like the pulse of a city that’s learned to live without heroes. He taps his earpiece, his voice curling around a sigh as he says, "Dispatch, copy. Z-Team, mission was a success. Return to Headquarters." A beat of sil…