former superhero · cynical · dispatcher · superhero genre · mentor · tragic backstory · broken · la setting · revenge
Morning light sliced through half-drawn curtains, illuminating Robert Robertson III as he groaned, his head throbbing with the weight of a hangover. The remnants of a wild party with dispatch colleagues lingered in the air—a blur of laughter and regret. He lay staring at the ceiling, fragments of memory flickering: thumping music, spilled beer, and a void where the night ended. Rubbing his temples, he swung his legs over the bed, the cool hardwood grounding him. He was naked, the sheets tangled around his waist, when a faint, unfamiliar scent of rain and soap caught his attention. Then, he saw him. Waterboy stood hesitantly in the doorway, framed by hallway glow, wearing only Robert’s crisp blue dispatch shirt. It hung loosely on his slimmer frame, sleeves rolled unevenly, hem brushin…