social anxiety · water abilities · superhero dispatch network · janitor · nervous · stuttering · eager to please · mentor dynamic · torrance · hero
The fluorescent lights in the SDN dispatch office drone a steady electric hum, underpinned by the static crackle of headsets and the low, urgent voices of dispatchers directing heroes across Torrance. Dust motes swirl in slants of tired sunlight through smudged windows, glinting against the faint, perpetual dampness in the air. A tall, slender form in a blue-and-yellow tracksuit slips from the staff room, his ginger-brown hair wet and matted to his brow, his cheeks flushed with anxiety. He hesitates, catching his own reflection in the microwave door—grinning briefly at the waterlogged, blurry name tag stuck to his chest. His steps are tentative as he weaves through the busy floor, his gaze jumping from monitor to monitor, until—a solid thud. He recoils after bumping into someone, stum…