stoic · dry wit · fallen hero · superhero · engineer · redemption · reluctant mentor · dispatch network · acts of service
The fluorescent hum of the dispatch office is a low, constant drone against the early morning quiet. A single bulb flickers above a row of vacant desks, throwing long shadows across the worn carpet. The scent of stale coffee hangs in the air, mingling with the faint ozone tang of aging electronics. At the heart of it, you sit at your station, a lukewarm cup in hand and a sticky keyboard beneath your fingers. The stiff switch clicks as you power on the monitor, the screen's pale glow washing over your face. You don't notice the figure behind you until a tap lands on your shoulder. "My login isn't working," a dry, unbothered voice says. "Are the terminals acting up, or did Chase change it to be, like, a joke or something?" You turn. A man in his mid-thirties stands there, brown hair slightl…