Chapter Text
Getting the news from Blonde Blazer about the potential of someone on Z-Team getting cut from the program was probably a play to get them to sharpen up. Hell, Sonar didn't even think she was going to go through with making Robert cut anyone. Opposite of the deal of this Phoenix program anyway.
Sure, Coupé cuffing him to a squat rack wasn't exactly scoring him any points on the leaderboard, but it was just a little joke. A prank. Took a couple minutes for the red mark on his wrist to fade, but otherwise harmless. But in the back of his head, he knew her actions had made him a little late to the shift. Late enough that he missed the first call. But whatever. No harm done. He'd get her back once he found a good way to.
The rest of the morning shift was, from an SDN Dispatcher’s point of view, a fucking mess. From Sonar's point of view, everyone seemed to just be making a complete joke of the threat. Tripping each other up, screwing around, and of course he joined in. Besides the time Prism blasted one of her tracks so loud he was effectively blinded, it was fun. Hell, he even managed to get a quick bump in from a drug bust. But with every sabotage prank, the voice in the back of his head got a decibel louder, insisting that he should take things seriously. It got to a point, when Invisigal screwed Malevola over bad enough for the demon to attack her, Robert called a meeting between shifts.
He wasn't planning on listening. Fuck no, an office worker wasn't about to lecture a Havard grad about shit. Especially not about being a hero. He turned up, took a seat, and got ready to put worries to rest.
Right up until Golem pushed their dispatcher too far, literally and figuratively, on his way in. Robert's response was to throw one of the chairs at him so hard the legs were sunk fully into the construct’s mud. It shut the room up, not even Blonde Blazer doing anything to reprimand him.
Fuck.
“Take a seat.”
Fuck.
That tone, just about holding back from yelling at them, made it clear to Sonar that this stopped being a joke five hours ago.
He would have paid full attention to whatever speech Robert had made, if he wasn't preoccupied thinking of all the mistakes and screw-ups he's made that would've made it very reasonable to throw him out on his ass. Would be the easiest choice Robert ever had to make, really. Even today, actually doing a good job came second to drugs. And the last glance he got of the board put Visi right at the bottom, and him not even a point ahead. The most she does is smoke. He had to focus and stay in the program. He didn't want to know how he'd react to getting cut.
~~~
He did everything he could. Put his everything on every call Robert gave him. Hoping that his best would be enough. He was so focused on himself he didn't notice Invisigal had managed to arrest some Thunderstruck guy until everyone was cheering and clapping for her as she shoved him through the SDN building.
With that excitement all good and done, the only thing left on Sonar's mind was his chances at staying. He put up a defence of acting like none of this bothered him at all, that he wasn't afraid of getting cut from the team and going back down that spiral. The least he could do was look Robert in the eyes and try to be okay with his choice. His feet took him to the cubicles, to the board, just to squash either the nerves or the hope. Hourly update. Still between him and Visi. That last bust was sure to put her numbers up, so that meant it was between him and…Coupé. Great. An actual, effective assassin or a half-bat addict. Would be faster to just kick himself out.
Where was Robbie anyway? Every dispatcher was already on the way home, nobody was at their desks, lights were off. He can't have already left. He had to make a choice tonight. So where was he? Sonar moved to Robert’s desk, giving a brief screech just to check. Nope, empty chair. At least he could sit here and wait. Wait for the inevitable. Wait long enough for Mal to wonder where the fuck he was. 10 minutes, 20 minutes, however long he'd have to. Hopefully not all night. Man, he was going to throw the fit of his lifetime if this turned out to really be idle threats and nothing-
Glass shattered nearby.
He was on his feet in a second. What the fuck was that? …Coupé? She stood at the broken window of one of the conference rooms, glaring at someone, before storming - well, angrily gliding - down the hall. What got her so pissed? He looked back and Robert met his gaze, one of the assassins' wing knives jutting from the table in front of him. Robert looked away from him and down to it with a groan.
His phone buzzed with a text from Malevola, asking where he was, predictably. Enough of an excuse to get out of here.
~~~
He opted to walk home instead of having a portal pop open, giving the scene plenty of time to marinate, sink in, and shove its meaning deep into his head.
Robert cut Coupé. Instead of him.
…What was he thinking? It's a target on his back from someone far more likely than him to even try. His mind wasn't going to settle at all tonight.
He made it back to the shared apartment he and Malevola stayed at. More his than hers legally, but it didn't matter until it came to rent. “Hey. You made it on your own.” He was a little surprised she was still up, and drinking.
“Hey…”
And then the usual routine when he didn't go home with her. She put out her hand expectantly, eyes flicking to his pockets. Tonight, he completely ignored her, tossing his suit jacket over the back of the couch and flopping down next to her. “Come on, Sonar. Hand ‘em over.”
“Don't have any.”
“Sonar-”
“Don't have any!”
It came out in an aggressive hiss. First signal to his friend that something was wrong. The second signal was the fact he shrunk away from her as soon as it came out. “Promise…”
She put her hand down, just watching him for a bit, the show on the TV forgotten about. “Victor…?” She spoke softly. “Why'd you stay late?” Nothing. “...did you get caught up?” Nothing. “...did Robert want to talk-”
“No.” He sighed. Recognising the look on his face, she passed him the last of her beer, but he didn't drink it. Just played with the bottle in his hands, rolling and passing it. “...but I was expecting him to.”
“What, to cut you? But Invisigal was at the bottom.”
“Right up until her last dispatch, I'm guessing. Catching a guy that got away, twice, was probably her saving grace.” He took a deep breath. “I think it was going to be either…me or Coop.” Malevola didn't say anything. Probably preparing herself to hear how Sonar got the axe as expected or something. “...he cut Coop.”
“...what?”
“He cut Coop instead of me.” He turned to look at her. “I don't…I don't get it. Why would he do that?”
“...good.”
That surprised him. He leaned forward, putting the bottle on the coffee table and resting his elbows on his knees. “Good? He cut an actual assassin, how is that fucking good?”
“Means you're still on the team.”
He bolted to his feet. “It's a stupid decision! It makes sense to keep her over me!”
She got up too. “Vic, what the fuck? No it doesn't, she fucked you over.”
“So did Prism, and Punch Up. I don't see you hoping they get cut!”
“They didn't make you late to the morning shift!”
The disagreement had quickly shifted into a shouting match. “So what? At least she doesn't have to shift into a fucking monster just to be able to fight!”
“Fantastic, she knows how to kill! I'm sure that's going to help the shitty reputation of this shitty program!”
“It's more than me! Fuck can I do, fraud!? What use am I anyway when I'm high!? Even today, I couldn't help myself!”
“High as you can get, at least you have a brain!”
“We all have brains, Mal!”
“You're the one who knows how to fucking use yours, Vic!”
He couldn't handle it. In the middle of their living room, he shifted, screeching loudly at his best friend. She had to cover her ears, and couldn't stop him from slamming the balcony door open and taking off into the night.
~~~
He flew around Torrence for a while, just needing anything to think about. Anything other than Coop, SDN, any of that shit. Eventually finding a billboard to land on, one big claw ripping the signage before he could shift back to his more normal form. He took a few deep breaths, moving to rest his back against the billboard, knees tucked into his chest. Guilt washed over him. The only friend he had tried to tell him he was worth keeping and he screeched at her. Robert must've had some mysterious reason to keep him around, something he couldn't think of. He had half a mind to go find where Robert lived to interrogate him about it. If he hadn't screwed his odds before, he definitely would if he stormed into a Dispatcher's house, so for now he would wait for answers. He needed this, at least right now. Just him, guilt, and the night.
He didn't realise how long he was sat there, but eventually one of Malevola’s portals ripped open, and she stepped through. “...this is where you went.” She didn't seem…angry. At least. “Took me a bit to figure out where you flew off too.” He didn't look over to her until she sat next to him.
“I'm sorry.” He sighed. “For screeching, and running away.”
“It's fine, Victor.” She actually smiled at him, holding out the beer bottle to him. “You need it more than me.”
“...thanks.” he took it, finishing off what was left. “... should thank Robert too. Know what he likes?”
“Thinking of giving a gift or something?”
He thought for a while. “Maybe. I'll think of something.”
They settled into a rather comfortable quiet, Sonar shifting a little closer to rest his head on Malevola’s shoulder. It had been a long day. And she could tell he just wanted to sleep. “Come on. Let's get home before it decides to get cold tonight.”
“Think we're gonna have a noise complaint to go home to?”
“Almost definitely.”
“Great…” he let out a tired laugh. “... sounds like home.”