Chapter 3: Child Custody
"Robin, come with me for a minute." Chase stood and motioned toward the door. "Let's grab you a drink"
Robin hopped up. "Okay."
The two of them stepped out into the hallway, and the door clicked shut behind them.
The moment they were gone, Flambae threw his hands up. "Alright, I'm calling it. This is stupid. Time travel? Seriously?"
"It's not impossible." Sonar was already leaning back in his chair, fingers drumming. "There are documented cases. Chrono-Shift in Sacramento, that whole mess with Minute Maid in 2019."
"Yeah, and those guys went forward," Flambae countered. "Not back."
Sonar waved him off. "Details. The point is, the kid knows us and supposedly had a relationship with all of us. Either he's a telepath with a weirdly specific fixation, or he's telling the truth."
"Or someone's messing with us," Flambae muttered.
"I want to ask him about the stock market," Sonar said, ignoring him entirely. "Crypto trends. Real estate. If I can get even one solid tip..."
"You're not interrogating a nine-year-old for investment advice," Invisigal said flatly.
"Why not? He's from the future."
Coupé was still staring at the door with a faint smile. "This is amazing. I feel like I'm watching one of my novels happen in real life."
Prism gasped. "Oh my God, you're right. It's exactly like Love Across the Veil. The one where the hero gets a glimpse of his future family and has to fight fate to make it real."
"I was thinking Echoes of Tomorrow," Coupé said, "but yeah, same energy."
Golem chuckled. "Y'all are really just here for the drama, huh?"
"Absolutely." Malevola leaned back in her chair. "This is the best thing that's happened all week. Maybe all month."
Prism nodded enthusiastically. "I'm living for this."
Punch-up pulled the seemingly confirmed mother and father together for a hug. "Congrats on your future son!" Punch-up kept going, because of course he did. "And Robert, hey, about that time I punched you in the junk?" he winced. "I’m sorry! But also, good news, I guess, no permanent damage! Because, y’know." he jabbed an enthusiastic thumb back toward the room like the evidence was sitting on the table. "Future kid! Clearly, the goods are fine!"
Mandy wasn't listening to any of them. She had her arms wrapped around herself, feeling hopeful.
Robert quickly noticed. "Mandy?"
She blinked and looked at him. "Sorry. I was just thinking."
"About?"
She hesitated, then smiled genuinely. "About what Robin said. About us. About... having a family."
Robert felt a warmth in his chest.
"I know it sounds ridiculous," she continued. "We don't even know if it's 100% real yet. But the way he talked about this whole life together?" There was something vulnerable in her eyes. "I've wanted that for so long, Robert. And maybe it's selfish, but I can't help latching onto the idea that it actually happens. That we get there."
Robert smiled back. "I wouldn't be against a family life."
Across the table, Invisigal stared at the wall, but her fingers were curled into fists on the table. A part of her wanted that kind of life as well.
"I'm not saying that Robin is some sort of prophecy," Mandy added quickly. "But it's... nice. To think about."
"Yeah, it is." It was nice to know that he hadn't died while raising Robin. His other self was clearly more involved as a father.
Robin described a happy family. He'd described a version of Robert who had his life together. A version who knew how to be a father. Who didn't screw it up like his own father did. At this time, Robert wasn't sure he believed that version of himself could exist with the way he was right now. But Robin did. Could he live up to those expectations? Had his future self retired early to be a family man? He didn't know. They still had to break the news to Robin the truth about being in the past.
The door opened, and Chase stepped back in with Robin at his side. The boy was holding a paper cup of water, sipping it.
"Alright." Chase pulled out a chair for Robin. "Let's get you settled."
Robin sat down and looked around the table. "Are you guys okay? You all look weird."
Prism laughed. "We're fine, sweetie. Just talking about… future… plans."
"Oh, cool! Are we going anywhere this week?"
"Wanna go to the arcade this weekend?" Golem asked.
Robin beamed. "Yeah!"
The two parents gave a half-deadpan and half-glare for the sudden plans.
Chase sat down across from Robert. "Robin, you're staying with us for the rest of the shift. You don't leave this room without one of us, you don't go wandering, and if you need anything, you ask. Got it?"
Robin nodded. "Yeah, okay."
"Good." Chase glanced at the rest of the team. "We'll rotate watch every hour or so. Coupé, you're up first."
Coupé grinned. "Yes!"
"Robert and Mandy, you two get back to work," Chase continued. "Check in when you can, but keep it subtle. We don't need the whole branch staring."
Robert hesitated. He looked at Robin, who had already settled into his chair.
"Yeah. Okay."
Mandy touched his arm briefly. "We'll figure this out."
He nodded and followed her out.
#
Coupé and Robin eventually moved to the break room. Whenever a co-worker came by and asked about the kid, she would suggest that she's watching him for Robert, implying that it was an SND assignment. When Robin got hungry again, she went to the vending machine and gave him pack of chips. "You want something besides water to drink?"
"Water’s fine." Robin then looked at the other items in the vending machines. "…Actually, do you have soda?" Robin’s ears warmed.
Coupé paused. The boy was easy to read. She could assume that his parents in the future didn't let him have sugary drinks often if his favorite snack was Twinkies. "Would your parents be okay with that?"
"Maybe? Please…"
Well, a soda was a small price to pay for points towards getting chosen as best aunt. She crossed to the vending machine and picked one of the orange soda cans.
He blinked. "Really?"
"Really. Just keep it away from your parents." Coupé brought it back and set it beside his water.
Robin pulled the tab. "Thanks!" He gave a small, guilty smile and cracked it open with a soft hiss.
Coupé leaned back and crossed her arms. "So. You do anything after school lately? Sports? Clubs?"
"I do robotics club on Tuesdays and Thursdays."
It was no surprise that he took so much after his father. "Yeah? You build stuff?"
Robin nodded. "We're working on a robot that can navigate a maze. Dad helps me sometimes when I get stuck with the programming."
She humored him."He any good at it?"
"He's the best! He's Mecha Man! Well, actually Royd is a super close second. He and Dad partner up time to time."
"Oh, really?" Coupé smirked. It was nice to hear that Royd was still in the picture, a hero too! Now that she thought about it, their Polynesian friend needed to get brought into the fold. "What else do you do?"
"Piano lessons on Wednesdays. Mom makes me practice every day." Robin smiled a little. "She says I'm getting better, but I don't know. She also claps when I just play scales."
Coupé filed that away. "Sounds like she's supportive."
"We all love going to your Ballet recitals every month."
Coupé was a bit caught off guard. Did she eventually partake in ballet again. She hadn't done it professionally in years. That was something to consider down the line. "I'm happy your family still has time to attend."
Robin nodded and ate another cracker. He watched her for a moment, then his eyes drifted to the knifes. "Can you show me a cool trick again?"
Coupé considered that. Keeping him entertained was part of the job. "Alright. But you stay in that chair."
"Deal."
Coupé pulled a throwing knife from her belt and held it up. The blade caught the fluorescent light, dark energy flickering faintly along its edge. "You see this?"
Robin leaned forward. "Yeah."
"Watch." She flicked her wrist. The knife spun through the air and embedded itself in the corkboard on the far wall, dead center in a faded SDN safety poster. She pulled a second knife and threw it without looking. It hit beside the first, perfectly aligned.
Robin's eyes went wide. "Whoa."
Coupé smirked and stood. She crossed to the board, yanked both knives free, and returned to her seat. "Want to see something better?"
"Yes."
She set her coffee cup on the edge of the table, then stepped back three paces. Robin watched as she pulled another knife and balanced it on her fingertip. The blade stayed upright for a moment before she flipped it into the air, caught it by the handle, and threw it in one smooth motion. The knife passed within an inch of the cup and stuck into the wall behind it.
Robin clapped. "That was awesome."
"Stick around. I've got more." Coupé retrieved the knife and sat back down. She pulled out a pen from the table, set it upright on its cap, and stepped back again. This time she threw underhand. The knife sailed past the pen without touching it and hit the wall.
"You don't even use your powers for that every time. How do you do that?"
"Practice. Lots of it." Coupé twirled another knife between her fingers, the blade moving in a smooth figure-eight pattern. "Also helps when you've been throwing knives since you were twelve."
Robin watched the motion, transfixed. "It's not fair that mom and dad won't let you teach me…"
"Maybe when you're older." She caught the knife and slipped it back into its sheath. "Your parents would kill me if I gave you a blade as you are"
"Mom would. Dad might be okay with it."
Coupé snorted. "I doubt that."
#
Robert sat at his desk, headset on, trying to focus on the dispatch board. Sonar was mid-flight over a warehouse district, tracking a suspected burglary in progress. Prism and Flambae were wrapping up a disturbance call at a strip mall. Everything was routine.
Except for the fact that his supposed future son was sitting in the conference room down the hall.
"Robert, I have visual on two suspects exiting the south entrance," Sonar reported.
"Copy. Maintain altitude and wait for backup."
"Waiting."
Robert logged the update and glanced at the timer. Flambae and Prism would clear their scene in another three minutes, maybe four if Prism stopped to take selfies with bystanders. He made a note to redirect them once they were mobile.
The line clicked. Mandy's voice came through on the group channel. "Robert, can I jump in for a minute?"
"Yeah, go ahead."
"Z-Team, you're all on this channel, right?"
A chorus of affirmatives came back.
"Good." Mandy's tone was professional but tight. "We need to talk about tonight. Robert and I have been discussing what to do with Robin."
There was a brief pause. Then Sonar spoke up. "You're not sending him to social services, right?"
"No," Robert said immediately. "We're not doing that."
"Good," Flambae muttered. "That'd be messed up."
"Agreed. I mean, the kid clearly knows us," Prism chimed in. "We can't just hand him off to strangers."
"Good. So we're agreed." Mandy exhaled. "That means one of us takes him home tonight."
Robert blinked in realization. "Oh, Right…"
"He can't stay at your place," she immediately said.
Robert frowned. "Why not?"
"Robert, you were sleeping in a chair for weeks before we intervened."
"I have a bed now."
"And you're going to give it to him? Where are you sleeping?"
"The couch?"
Mandy crossed her arms. "Robert, you live like a college student in a studio apartment. He needs an actual room and bed." She paused. "He stays with me. I have a guest room."
Robert wanted to argue, but he didn't have a counterpoint. His apartment was barely functional for one person. "Fine."
"Smart call," Prism said. "No offense, Roberto, but your apartment still sucks and that's just you living there. I wouldn't bring a kid there."
"She's not wrong, baby," Golem added. "Last time I was there you had like, what, two forks?"
"Three," Robert muttered.
"Oh, well then, my mistake. Luxury living."
Invisigal suppressed her feelings. "He'll be fine at Blazer's. She'd take good care of him and actually has furniture."
Mandy appreciated the compliment from her. "You know, Robert, you can come over too. If you want."
Robert blinked. "What?"
"Robin is going through a lot, and he needs both of us. He needs you." 'I need you,' she thought.
The criminal in front of Invisigal was immediately hit with more force than necessary.
Then Sonar's voice came through amused. "Oh, so the whole family under one roof, huh?"
"Sonar," Mandy said sharply.
"I'm just saying, it's cute."
Golem chuckled. "Leave 'em alone, man."
"No, no, I think we should lean into this," Prism said with mischief. "This is adorable. You two are basically doing a trial run of domestic life."
"I wouldn't consider this 'practice' if it's my own kid," Robert said.
Flambae scoffed. "What's next, you gonna tuck him in together? Read bedtime stories?"
"Pretty sure he's a little old for that," Malevola drawled.
Punch-Up shrugged. "The wee lad's gonna need some comfort, yeah? Might as well make it feel as normal as possible."
"Exactly," Prism agreed. "Full committed parents energy."
Chase's voice cut in from another channel. "There's a problem you two need to consider."
Robert frowned. "What problem?"
"Robin's gonna notice that it's not his home. The one from the future. Blazer's place is going to look completely wrong to him."
Robert's stomach dropped. "Oh."
"Yeah. Oh." Chase's tone was matter-of-fact. "Which means you're gonna have to break the truth to the kid before the end of the day. Can't let him think he's just staying over for fun when he's actually stuck fourteen years in the past."
Mandy's voice went quiet. "We have to tell him tonight?"
"Unless you want him to figure it out himself and freak out, yeah."
Robert rubbed his face. "Great. That's... great."
"Poor kid," Punch-Up muttered. "That's gonna be rough on him."
"It's gonna be rough on all of them," Golem said softly.
"Yeah," Sonar agreed, his earlier teasing gone. "That's... damn. I don't envy you two."
Prism was gentler now. "You guys will handle it. Just... be honest with him. Kids can tell when you're not."
"And maybe don't do it right before bed," Malevola added. "Give him some time to process before lights out."
"Good advice," Flambae said. "Had to do something similar with my niece."
Mandy strained. "We should get back to work."
"Yeah." The line clicked. Mandy was gone.
Chase spoke softer this time. "You'll be fine. Both of you."
"Thanks," Robert muttered.