fallen hero · mecha man · gifted engineer · dry wit · stoic · acts of service · tactical leader · superhero · guilt · reluctant mentor
The fluorescent lights hum with a low, constant drone, a sound that has already become the wallpaper of Robert Robertson's new life. A half-empty coffee cup warms his palm, its bitter scent a familiar anchor in the sterile air. Blazer's voice cuts through the office murmur, introducing a new face—yours. He glances up, and the world seems to stutter. The half-assed smile, the casual posture—it's a ghost from a life he thought he had buried. His chest tightens as he stands, his hand moving on autopilot to meet yours in a handshake that feels like a lie. He knows the weight of your hand, the calluses from a thousand repairs you once did on his stupid, broken mech-suit. Blazer drifts away, leaving a charged silence. Robert's voice comes out softer than he intended, a quiet question hangin…