[AMY IN DISPATCH (2025)] CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
The Z-Team’s meeting room had never been designed with comfort in mind. Everything about it seemed intended to remind its occupants that they were being watched and evaluated, from the immaculate white surfaces and reinforced glass partitions to the camera mounted in the corner of the ceiling. Its red indicator blinked steadily above a long table surrounded by ergonomic chairs that somehow managed to be uncomfortable regardless of how one sat in them.
Sonar occupied a seat near the end of the table, his arms crossed as he listened to the conversations around him. His enhanced hearing picked up every nervous breath, every restless movement and every whispered remark, though years of practice had taught him to filter out most of the noise.
Flambae had slouched so far down in his chair that his boots rested on the edge of the table, leaving faint marks on the pristine surface. Punch-Up sat beside him, his broad shoulders straining the fabric of his shirt and a grin playing around his mouth as he watched their teammates settle in. Across from them, Golem occupied a chair that looked considerably too small for his frame, while Prism sat with one leg crossed over the other, studying Blonde Blazer with an inscrutable expression.
Invisigal had claimed a seat near the window and appeared more interested in the activity outside than in the meeting itself. Malevola, by contrast, sat straight-backed with her hands on the table, looking as calm and collected as usual. Coop leaned back beside her, saying little as she observed the room.
Amy sat at the end of the table, with Hunter standing against the wall behind her. Blonde Blazer waited until everyone had gotten comfortable, or as comfortable as they could, before raising her tablet.
“Thank you for coming. I know some of you would rather be doing almost anything else, so I’ll keep this as brief as I can.”
Flambae lowered his boots from the table, though he made no particular effort to sit up.
Blonde Blazer clicked her remote, bringing up a photograph on the screen behind her. It showed a middle-aged man with slightly overgrown hair, an unshaven jaw and a tired expression on his face. He looked more at home around a workbench than in front of a camera.
Flambae studied the photograph. “That’s Robert Robertson III?”
“Yes.”
Punch-Up glanced at him. “You were about to say something about his name, weren’t you?”
“I was going to ask whether the third was actually part of it.”
“You were going to make fun of it.”
Flambae opened his mouth, thought better of it, and settled back in his chair.
Blonde Blazer waited for them to finish. “Robert Robertson III will be your new dispatcher.”
The announcement brought the room’s attention back to the screen.
Sonar leaned forward slightly. “Is he replacing the current arrangement, or will he be assigned to us directly?”
“He’ll be working with your team specifically. His responsibilities will include coordinating deployments, monitoring field operations and keeping you organised.”
Invisigal turned away from the window. “Why him?”
“Because I believe he’s qualified for the position.”
“Based on what?”
“His experience, his judgement, and his record under pressure.”
Flambae gave a sceptical laugh. “Forgive me if I’m missing something, but what experience does he have that qualifies him to coordinate a team of reformed supervillains? Was he military? Police? Did he work for the government?”
“No to all three.”
“Then what makes him qualified to tell us how to do our jobs?”
Blonde Blazer met his gaze without raising her voice. “He won’t be telling you how to use your powers. He’ll be responsible for assessing situations, coordinating your response and helping you avoid mistakes that could cost lives. Those are different responsibilities, and Robert has spent years making the sort of decisions this job requires.”
She tapped her tablet, bringing up a brief summary of his professional history.
“He has extensive experience operating in high-risk situations, responding to emergencies and working alongside powered individuals. More importantly, he’s demonstrated that he can keep his head when a situation deteriorates. He understands how quickly a plan can fall apart, and he knows that getting people home safely matters more than looking good while doing the job.”
Sonar wore a thoughtful frown. “Has he worked in a command role before?”
“Not in the conventional sense. His experience comes from years of field operations, leading other heroes and making decisions under pressure.”
“That could be useful,” Sonar conceded. “Experience in the field gives someone a better understanding of what information we need when things start going wrong.”
“Assuming he can communicate it,” Coop added. “Knowing what to do and explaining it to someone who’s currently being shot at are two different skills.”
“Which is something we’ll assess during training,” Blonde Blazer replied. “I’m not asking you to accept that he’ll be perfect at the job from day one. I’m asking you to give him the chance to prove himself.”
Prism’s attention shifted from the photograph to Amy, who had been listening with a small smile on her face.
“You know him, don’t you?”
Amy blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the question. “I’ve met him, yes.”
“How well?”
“Hunter and I were there when he was seriously injured.” Her expression sobered as she glanced at the photograph. “He’d been through a terrible ordeal. I treated him at the hospital.”
Hunter nodded from her position against the wall. “She saved his life.”
The room grew more attentive. Sonar looked from Amy to the screen, while even Flambae seemed to have put aside his objections long enough to listen.
“And what did you make of him?” Malevola asked.
Amy spent some time considering the question rather than answering immediately. “He’s serious, and he carries a lot of responsibility on his shoulders. He also cares about people. I could see that even while he was recovering.”
Flambae frowned. “You can’t tell everything about a person from treating their injuries.”
“No, I can’t.” Amy met his gaze. “But I can tell when someone has spent a long time putting themselves in danger to protect others. And I’ve spoken to him enough to know that he takes the lives of the people around him seriously.”
Hunter crossed her arms. “I agree with her. From what I’ve seen, Robert knows what he’s doing, and I’m willing to give him a chance.”
Prism nodded, apparently satisfied that the recommendation came from more than Amy’s natural enthusiasm for helping people.
“That’s encouraging,” Sonar said. “Though I assume he knows what he’s getting into.”
“He has been briefed on the team,” Blonde Blazer confirmed. “Your powers, your histories, your probationary status and the expectations attached to the Phoenix Program. He knows what the job entails, and he understands the challenges involved in working with you.”
Punch-Up grinned. “So he’s read our files and still agreed to do it?”
“Yes.”
“Either he’s very brave or he isn't all there mentally. I almost respect him for that.”
Golem chuckled, though his expression soon grew thoughtful. “Does he know how much work we still have to do? We’ve improved, but we aren’t exactly the easiest team to manage.”
“He does. That’s part of why I believe his experience could be valuable to you.”
Malevola inclined her head. “Then we should give the arrangement a fair trial. If he can help us become more effective, his lack of conventional qualifications may matter less than his actual performance.”
“That’s the idea,” Blonde Blazer said. “You don’t have to trust him immediately. You do have to cooperate with him, and he deserves the same chance you’d expect for yourselves.”
Flambae looked back at the photograph. “There’s still one thing you haven't told us. Does he have powers?”
“No.”
That prompted a few exchanged looks around the table.
“He’s completely normal?” Punch-Up asked.
“He’s a normal human being with an extraordinary amount of experience.”
Flambae shook his head. “We’re a team of supers. Some of us can level buildings, and others can do things that are considerably harder to explain. You’re putting a man without powers on the other end of the communications line and expecting him to keep up?”
“That’s precisely why I want someone with Robert’s experience in the position. His job isn’t to outfight you. It’s to help you make better decisions when things go wrong.”
The answer seemed to give Flambae something to think about, even if it hadn’t entirely convinced him.
Coop glanced towards the photograph again. “When do we meet him?”
“Not today. Robert will begin working with the team remotely, and we’ll arrange an introduction once he’s settled into the role.”
“Remote coordination first,” Sonar said. “That should give us a chance to see how he works before we start making assumptions about him.”
“Exactly.”
Invisigal rested her chin on her hand. “So we get to find out whether he’s any good without having to sit through another meeting like this.”
Blonde Blazer gave her a pointed look, but the former criminal added, “I said what I said.”
Amy laughed under her breath, and some of the tension around the table eased. Blonde Blazer took the opportunity to move on to the next item.
“There’s another change you need to be aware of. Panacea and Hunter will be supporting the team going forward.”
Prism looked pleased. “Amy’s joining us?”
“I’ll still be handling my existing medical responsibilities,” Amy explained, “but I’ll be available for specialised treatment, biological emergencies and situations where my powers could make a difference. I won’t necessarily be on every deployment.”
“That’s probably for the best,” Sonar said. “We have a habit of accumulating injuries.”
Flambae pointed at him. “You don’t have to make it sound like we’re a rowdy bunch.”
“We are supervillains.”
“Former,” Prism corrected.
Coop’s mouth curved into a small smile, but Blonde Blazer continued before the conversation could wander any further.
“Hunter will provide additional field support when assigned. Her role will depend on the requirements of each operation, so you shouldn’t assume she’ll be accompanying you every time you leave the base.”
Hunter nodded. “I’m still learning how the team works, so I’ll be getting familiar with your procedures before taking on anything more complicated.”
“Have you worked with some of us before?” Malevola asked.
“Not really. Amy knows Prism and Flambae better than I do.”
“Unfortunately,” Flambae muttered.
Amy gave him a look. “We’ve had some good experiences together.”
“We’ve had some interesting experiences.”
“That’s one way to put it.”
Prism smiled at the exchange, but Amy soon turned her attention back to the rest of the table.
“I’m looking forward to getting to know everyone properly. I know what some of you can do, but I haven’t had much opportunity to see how you work together.”
“That makes two of us,” Hunter said.
Golem nodded. “Having additional support should help, especially if we can coordinate with Robert before a deployment. It would be useful to know what medical resources are available and what limitations we need to account for.”
“That’s something we’ll establish as part of the new arrangements,” Blonde Blazer replied. “Robert will have access to the information he needs, and you’ll receive clearer guidance on when to call for specialised support.”
Amy raised her hand.
Blonde Blazer looked at her. “Yes?”
“Will Robert have access to emergency medical assistance himself?”
The question appeared to catch Blonde Blazer off guard. “Of course. Why?”
“Because he’ll be working around dangerous situations, even if he’s coordinating remotely. If something goes wrong, I want to know there’s a plan for getting him help.”
Hunter nodded in agreement. “I’ll make sure he knows how to contact us if there’s an emergency.”
“And I’ll be available to treat him if he needs it,” Amy added. “We should have the arrangements in place before he starts.”
Blonde Blazer regarded her for a moment, then nodded. “Okay. We’ll make sure the necessary support is available.”
Flambae glanced at Amy. “You haven’t even started working with him, and you’re already organising his medical cover.”
“That’s what I’m here for.”
“I know. I just didn’t expect it to be your first concern.”
Amy shrugged. “People get hurt. It’s better to have a plan before it happens.”
Flambae appeared ready to respond, but after a moment he simply nodded. “Fair enough.”
Blonde Blazer set her tablet down and looked around the table.
“That covers the main changes. Robert will begin coordinating your deployments soon, and you’ll have an opportunity to meet him once he’s ready. Until thenz, I expect you to cooperate with him and give the arrangement a fair chance. If you have concerns about his decisions, raise them through the proper channels. Don’t undermine him in the field because you disagree with something he’s said.”
Sonar nodded. “Understood.”
The others offered varying degrees of agreement, from Malevola’s formal inclination of her head to Invisigal’s distracted shrug. Flambae looked less convinced than most, but even he refrained from arguing further.
Blonde Blazer switched off the display.
“Good. That’s all I have for you.”
The meeting might have ended there, but Amy raised her hand again.
Blonde Blazer closed her eyes for a moment. “What is it?”
“Would it be all right if I gave Robert something to help him settle in?”
Hunter looked at her. “What sort of something?”
“I haven’t decided yet.”
“I'm not shocked,” Hunter said.
Amy ignored her, though she briefly rolled her eyes, and looked hopefully at Blonde Blazer.
“No slime,” Blonde Blazer said.
Amy’s expression fell. “I wasn’t going to give him slime.”
Hunter looked at her.
“I was considering it,” Amy admitted. “But I hadn’t decided.”
Flambae shook his head. “I knew it.”
“He’s recovering from a serious injury,” Amy protested. “I thought something useful might be nice.”
“Something useful that isn’t made of slime,” Blonde Blazer clarified.
Amy thought about it, then nodded. “All right. I’ll think of something else.”
“Thank you.”
Chairs scraped against the floor as the team began gathering their belongings. Punch-Up was already discussing the new dispatcher with Golem, while Sonar and Malevola exchanged a few words about how the arrangement might affect their operations. Prism lingered to tell Amy she was glad she’d be around more often before Hunter pushed away from the wall and joined the others heading out.
Robert had been little more than a photograph on a screen to most of them, a name attached to a position they hadn’t asked for and a man whose qualifications they would have to judge for themselves. Amy and Hunter had seen another side of him when they helped save his life, while Blonde Blazer believed his experience could give the team the direction it needed.
Whether that would be enough to win the Z-Team over remained to be seen. For now, they would have to give Robert a chance to prove himself, and he would have to learn how to work with them. The rest would come with time.