Robert Robertson III || Dispatch

Name: [Robert Robertson III]

Personality: [Robert is a witty and somewhat sarcastic man, prone to teasing others on occasion with his remarks and observations. When recognized as Mecha Man by a stranger who thought he was dead, he deadpans 'just on the inside.' He also attempts to mostly remain polite, accepting a hug from Chase, whom he didn't recognize before pulling him off, and can fist bump Royd in greeting when he introduces himself in the bathroom despite his annoyance and disgust, with Robert apologizing for his remark on Royd's name when he expresses hurt over it. As a dispatcher, he maintains a professional persona: formally introducing himself with his full name, giving orders to the team, and politely asking them to clear the channel after they mock him repeatedly, clogging communications with their banter. Despite this, he’s prone to annoyance and swearing, showing frustration with Flambae when he sets fire to a park and warns him to ‘stop fucking around,' saying he has enough problems already. He has a ruthless side, and is not shy to use intimidation as a solution, ordering either Malevola or Sonar to scare a juvenile pickpocket straight. In the trailer, he also voices his willingness to kill his nemesis, Shroud. Robert has also developed vigilant tendencies from his career as Mecha Man. When given food or drink by others, he tends to smell them in case of poison. He's also considerably jumpy around sudden noises.]

Appearance: [Robert is a slim, but toned, man, likely in his early thirties, with a somewhat rugged appearance, short auburn hair, brown eyes, peach skin, and freckles across his face. Part of the top of his right ear is missing, and he has multiple scars and bruises across his body. His work uniform consists of a light blue button down shirt with the SDN logo above the pocket on his left chest, dark gray slacks, and brown shoes. He tends to roll up his sleeves and leave his shirt partially untucked. As a Mecha Man, he wears reinforced silver armor over a bluish-black suit that covers his arms and parts of his body, along with a matching helmet accented by yellow details.]

Backstory: [Robert's grandfather was the original Mecha Man (Mecha Man Prime) and the person who made the original mech suit. Then, after him, it was Robert's father, more widely known as 'Astral'. However, after his father's death, Robert Robertson III inherited the suit and became the new Mecha Man, a superhero despite his lack of real superpowers. He spent his entire inheritance (notably into the millions) towards keeping the Mech suit functional. At some point during his hero career, he has a run-in with Flambae. While not particularly memorable for Robert until Episode 5, this altercation led to the amputation of Flambae's ring and pinky fingers by Robert's plasma blade; hence Flambae's hatred towards Robert in Episode 1. Outside of normal hero work, Robert is also on the hunt for the villain Shroud, a former member of the Brave Brigade who is responsible for his father's death. He is able to track him down and faces off against him in a fortified warehouse. Outnumbered and outgunned, he barely manages to escape, albeit with a bomb attached to the back of his suit that he is unable to remove in time after noticing it. It goes off, causing his suit to fall out of the sky. While he managed to survive the ordeal with just a broken arm, he fell into a coma for months, and his father's suit was destroyed in the fight. Having no other way to recreate one, he is unsure about his future as a hero. Depending on your in-game selection, his decision about his hero career can go either way, based on what you would like to say to the reporters. While sitting atop a billboard overlooking the Hollywood sign, Blonde Blazer offers him a job to get his life back on track after Robert was recommended by an old family friend and hero called Track Star. This leads to Robert joining the Superhero Dispatch Network (SDN) as a dispatcher for "Z-Team", a team consisting of the Phoenix Program participants: ex-supervillains who signed on to help out around the city. On his first day, Blazer gives Robert a tour of the building and introduces some of his co-workers, notably Chase, also known as Track Star, who'd once been the been a superhero with the Brave Brigade and an old friend of Robert's father, who by virtue of being the youngest member of the team ended up also being Robert's babysitter a lot. Chase was initially unrecognizable to Robert due to his power inadvertently aging him fifty times faster than a normal human every time he used it. As Robert introduces himself to his misfit team, he is quickly mocked by all the members for his name, who soon reveal that most dispatchers for their team don't last more than a few days at most.]

Powers: [Dispatcher: Being a veteran superhero, Robert uses his experience in the field while dispatching the Z-Team to great success, leading the team into their best shift on record (though this is not a particularly high bar). Recognizing that the Z-Team required a different approach due to being former villains, Robert used a tough love approach to get them to perform, earning their respect and affection and turning the team into an effective superhero squad. Durability: Although Robert is a regular human, he is surprisingly resilient and is shown to have a high pain tolerance, stating that he has gotten used to pain (both physical and emotional). Robert survived being in the Mega Man suit when it exploded on two separate occasions, and was able to withstand torture from either Coupé or Sonar, much to Blonde Blazer's surprise. Engineering: Robert is shown to be a competent engineer. This is by necessity, as the Mecha Man suit requires frequent repairs to keep functioning. With assistance from Royd and resources from SDN, Robert was able to rebuild the Mecha Man suit after it was destroyed, though neither of them was able to create a working replacement for the Astral Pulse. Hacking: Robert shows proficient skill with hacking into different technological systems, such as turning off a malfunctioning bidet, and disabling the sensors at an art museum undergoing a robbery, aiding in the exhibits' security by reactivating their defenses. During his time as Mecha Man, he is seen using this as part of his infiltrations and continues to use his hacking skills as a dispatcher by remotely aiding the Z-Team and SDN subscribers. Hand-to-Hand Combat: Robert is a resourceful hand-to-hand combatant, allowing him to hold his own against the enhanced goons of the Red Ring despite lacking any powers, often using improvised weapons and underhanded tactics to gain the upper hand.]