A/N: So, this is my first fic. It's a Stranger Things crossover. For those of you who don't know what that is, it's a really interesting Netflix original. It came out last month and it reminded me of the movie. There are spoilers up ahead. Like. Big spoilers. Just saying.
Also, some characters from the show remained the same. All of the characters with nicknames (Honey Lemon, Wasabi, etc.) have the same names as the character I made them on the show, they just go by their nickname. If that makes sense. Hiro, Wasabi, Fred, and Michael are fifteen, and Honey Lemon, GoGo, and Tadashi are 17. There will be eight chapters for season one, and eight more when the second season comes out. That may not sound like a lot, but these chapters are extremely long. So... Enjoy. Review. But mostly enjoy.
Disclaimers- I do not own any Big Hero 6 or Stranger Things characters.
NOVEMBER 6TH, 2015
SAN FRANSOKYO, CALIFORNIA
SAN FRANSOKYO NATIONAL LABORATORY
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Swish
The panicked scientist raced through the lab door, not thinking twice about looking back or stopping. The lights flickered and the sirens blared as he ran down the long, unsettling halls. He made noises of pain as his legs nearly gave out, pleading for him to stop. But he couldn't. Not now. This was his life at stake, he wouldn't stop until he was safe. He finally reached the elevator door after turning another corner, practically throwing himself against the wall and frantically pressing the elevator button. Sweat dripped down his pale forehead as he looked back, making sure nothing was there.
Making sure that...that monster wasn't there.
The elevator doors finally gave in, opening much to the scientist's delight. He ran in, looking back to get a final look at the hallway that took him what felt like an eternity to get through. The sirens continued blaring, and he continued staring.
C'mon, c'mon...
Still, the doors refused to shut.
Then, he heard it.
The harsh growl of the devil himself overhead. The scientist's blood ran cold as he slowly looked above, his eyes widening at what he saw.
Oh God, it's on the ceiling...waiting.
His screams filled the small elevator as the doors shut, leaving him alone with the monster.
"Something's coming. Something hungry for blood."
...
"A shadow crosses the wall behind you, swallowing you in darkness. It is almost here,"
"What is it?!"
"What if it's the Demogorgon?! Oh, Jesus, we're so screwed if it's the Demogorgon!"
"It's NOT the Demogorgon!"
The three boys are on the edges of their seats as Michael tells them about...well, it. Michael smirks before slamming a figurine on the table before them.
"An army of troglodytes charge into the chamber!" Michael exclaims, taking in each of their expressions. One of them, Fred, to be precise, is not amused.
"Troglodytes?" he asks, clearly not impressed.
"Told ya," Wasabi grins at him from across the table.
Their chuckles fill the basement.
"Wait a minute.." Michael says softly, looking around himself. "Did you hear that? That...that sound? Boom...boom...BOOM!" he suddenly yells, instantly grabbing his friend's attention. "That didn't come from the troglodytes. No, that...That came from something else.'
Silence as the other three exchange looks, unsure of what their friend is trying to say. Michael smirks before...
BOOM
"The Demogorgon!" he shouts as he slams the two-headed figurine on the table. His friends groan in annoyance.
"We're in deep shit," Fred complains.
"Hiro! You're Action!" Michael looks at Hiro desperately.
"I don't know!"
"Fireball him!" Wasabi demands.
"I'd have to roll a thirteen or higher!" Hiro argues.
"Too risky. Cast a protection spell." Fred says excitedly. Wasabi shakes his head in disapproval.
"Don't be a pussy. Fireball him!"
"Cast protection!"
"The Demogorgon is tired of your silly human bickering!" Michael snarls. "It stomps towards you. Boom!"
"Fireball him!" Wasabi pleads.
"Another stomp, boom!"
"Cast protection!" Fred prods.
"He roars in anger!"
"Fireball!" Hiro shouts, throwing the die in fear. They roll off the table and land on the rough carpet below.
"Oh shit!"
"Where'd they go?!"
They frantically rise from their seats, searching the floor for the die.
"Is it a thirteen?"
"I don't know!"
"Oh, my god. Oh, my god!"
"MIKE!"
Michael's mother opens the door at the top of the stairs, placing her hands on her hips in annoyance.
"Mom, we're in the middle of a campaign!"
"You mean the end?" she huffs. "Fifteen after!"
"Oh my god, freaking idiot!" their bickering continues as Michael races up the stairs after his mother.
"Mom, just wait 20 more minutes!"
"It's a school night, Michael. I just put your little sister to bed, you can finish next weekend."
"But that'll ruin the flow!"
"Michael-"
"I'm serious, Mom. The campaign took two weeks to plan! How was I supposed to know it would take ten hours?"
"You've been playing for ten hours?"
"Ugh, Dad!" he turns around to his father in the living room, "Don't you think that twenty more-"
"I think that you should listen to you mother," he says as he adjusts the antenna on the television, hitting it in annoyance. "Dang dumb piece of junk."
Michael groans, rushing back down to the basement to see what his friends were able to find. As if on cue, Hiro shouts in triumph.
"Oh, I got it!" he exclaims as he examines the die. He rushes to Wasabi as he zips his jacket. "Does the seven count?"
"It was a seven? Did Mike see it?" Hiro shakes his head. "Then it doesn't count." Hiro nods proudly, stuffing the die in his pocket and slinging his bag over his shoulder. Fred and Wasabi follow suit.
"Yo, hey." Fred grabs the pizza box and gestures it towards them. "Does anyone want this?"
"No," Hiro and Wasabi say in unison, rushing up the stairs. Fred huffs in annoyance, taking the box to the third story to see if Michael's older sister wanted any.
"Yeah, he's cute. GoGo, no- I don't think..."
"Hey, Honey Lemon!" Fred waves, walking into said girl's room in the middle of a phone conversation. She glances over at him. "There's a slice left if you want it. Sausage and pepperoni!"
"Hold on." Honey Lemon tells the person on the other line, setting the phone down on her bed, getting up and shutting the door in his face. Fred sighs, running downstairs to catch up with his friends.
"There's something wrong with your sister." Fred tells Michael as he mounts his bike.
"What are you talking about?"
"She's got a stick up her butt."
"Yeah," Wasabi agrees, "It's because she's been dating that douchebag, Steve Harrington."
"Yeah, she's turning into a real jerk."
"She's always been a real jerk." Michael points out.
"Nuh-uh. She used to be cool. Like that time she dressed up as an elf for our Elder Tree campaign."
"Four years ago!"
"Just saying."
"Later, Mike!" Wasabi waved peddling away from the house. Fred follows. Hiro stays behind, biting his lower lip.
"...it was a seven."
"Huh?"
"The roll, it was a seven. The Demogorgon, it got me. See you tomorrow." Hiro smiles softly, peddling away from Mike's house. Michael sighs, smiling to himself before shutting the garage door and going inside.
"Goodnight, ladies." Wasabi smirks, peddling towards his house and away from Fred and Hiro.
"Kiss your mom 'night for me." Fred replies with a laugh. He turns to Hiro and squints his eyes. "Race you back to my place? Winner gets a comic."
"...Any comic?"
"Yeah."
Hiro breathes in slowly before taking off, peddling as fast as he could.
"Hey! Hey! I didn't say 'go'!" Fred shouts, chasing after him. "Get back here! I'm gonna kill you!"
"I'll take your X-Men 134!" Hiro grins, racing away from Fred and onto the road home.
"Son of a bitch." Fred grunts.
Hiro laughs, turning onto a lonely quiet road. The wind hissed and the cold bit harshly at Hiro's exposed face. He didn't pay much mind to it. Nothing really scared Hiro Hamada that much anyway.
So he went on.
Suddenly, the light on Hiro's bike began to flicker, much to Hiro's confusion. He looked down at it, shrugging and continuing on.
That was, until he saw it.
Out of nowhere, a tall, bony creature jumped out in front of his bicycle, leading him off the road and into a trench where he rolled off his bike and into a pile of leaves. He slowly looked up as a distant growling sound came to his attention. He gasped, darting up from the ground and running away from his bike to go home. He quickly made it back onto the road, his house in his sight. He sighed in relief, sprinting towards his Aunt's cafe. He opened the door and slammed it shut, locking it tight and looking out the window once more. His aunt's cat, Mochi, quickly ran to Hiro and purred against his leg. He paid no mind to him and darted up to the second floor of the house.
"Aunt Cass? Tadashi? Aunt Cass!"
Both of their rooms. Nothing.
He breathes heavily, tearing open the curtains in the hallway to see if the beast had followed him.
And that it did. Out of the fog, it emerged, slowly walking towards the cafe. Hiro gasped, running to the phone and dialing the police station.
"Hello? Hello?!"
Static.
He glances over at the front door, the color leaving his face as all of the locks came undone on their own. He gasped, dropping the phone and running down to the garage. He quickly grabs Tadashi's gun out of the corner, taking out his hidden box of bullets and reloading the gun. With trembling hands, he takes the gun and points it at the garage door, ready for the attack of...of whatever that monster is. But before he can even think, a bitter growling noise comes from behind him.
And just like that, Hiro disappeared, leaving nothing but a loaded gun, a swinging light bulb, and a worried Mochi.
CHAPTER ONE
THE VANISHING OF HIRO HAMADA
The next morning...
"And that's it for News Center this morning. Thanks for joining us. Let's hand off now to Liz at the news desk."
"All right, thank you, Donna. We're getting reports of surges and power outages all across the county. Last night, hundreds of homes in the East were affected, leaving many residents in the dark. The cause of the outage is still unknown. We reached out to Roane County Water and Electric, and a spokesperson says that they are confident power will be restored to all remaining homes within the next several hours-"
Bark! Bark!
The man wakes with a gasp, wincing from the sunlight leaking through the curtains and onto his couch. He sighs, checking his watch and closing his eyes. He complies, getting up and stepping outside for a smoke. His body trembles from the cold as he stares out at the lake from his porch, dreading the new day. He stays out for a few minutes longer before stepping back inside to shower.
He splashes water onto his face, depending on it to make him feel any better.
It doesn't.
He dries his hair, brushes his teeth, and takes his pills. But nothing helps.
He buttons his shirt, buckles his belt, snaps his gun onto it, and clips his sheriff badge on before grabbing his hat and leaving the house, his television still running.
"In other news, you might wanna stay home tonight or pack an umbrella. We turn to our favorite morning weather guy, Charles."
"Where the hell are they? Tadashi?"
"Check the couch!" Tadashi replies from the kitchen, scrambling eggs for breakfast.
"Ugh, I did."
...
"Oh. Got 'em." she chuckles, rushing over to Tadashi to kiss him on the cheek. "I gotta run and grab a few things before I open up shop, so I'll see you tonight."
"Yeah, see you later." Tadashi smiled.
"Where's Hiro?"
"Oh, I didn't get him up yet. He's probably still sleeping." he replied nonchalantly.
"Tadashi, you have to make sure he's up!"
"Aunt Cass, I'm making breakfast." he gestures to the pan on the stove and the toaster.
"I told you this a thousand times. Hiro! Come on, honey. It's time to get up." she shouts, rushing upstairs and to his room.
Only to find no Hiro.
Tadashi flips the toast out of the toaster and onto the plate as Aunt Cass comes back into the kitchen, confusion splattered on her face.
"He came home last night, right?"
"He's not in his room?" Tadashi turned around, equally as confused.
"Did he come home or not?"
"I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"I got home late. I was working."
"You were working?"
"Eric asked if I could cover. I said yes. I just thought we could use the extra cash."
"Tadashi, we've talked about this!"
"I know, I know-"
"You can't take shifts while I'm working!"
"Cass, it's not a big deal. Look, he was at the Wheeler's all day. I'm sure he just stayed over."
"I can't believe you. I can't believe you sometimes!" Cass huffed, marching to the phone to dial Mrs. Wheeler.
"That's disgusting." Honey Lemon said, closing her eyes in disgust as Michael drenched his waffles in chocolate sauce.
Ring! Ring!
"You're disgusting!"
"Hello?" Mrs. Wheeler picked up the phone.
"Hi, Karen. It's Cass."
"Oh, Cass, hi!"
Michael reached over, pouring chocolate sauce on Honey Lemon's waffles.
"What the hell, Mike?"
"Quiet!" Karen snapped before turning back to the phone.
"Language." Mr. Wheeler scolded.
"Are you kidding?"
"Was that Hiro I heard back there?" Cass continued.
"Hiro? No, no, no, it's just Mike."
"Hiro didn't spend the night?"
"No, he left a little bit after 8:00. Why? He's not home?"
...
"Um, you know what? I think he just left early for...for school. Thank you so much. Bye."
"Okay. Bye."
Cass turned back and saw Tadashi's worry covered face, trying not to think the worst.
Wasabi, Fred, and Michael all peddled to school, searching the crowd of students for Hiro. They all looked at each other in confusion when they saw no sign of him. They shrugged, peddling over to park their bikes.
"That's weird. I don't see him." said Michael.
"I'm telling you, his mom's right." Wasabi said, walking next to Michael. "He probably just went to class early again."
"Yeah, he's always paranoid Gursky's gonna give him another pop quiz." Fred chimed in.
"Step right up, ladies and gentlemen." A familiar voice made itself known. much to the boys' dislike. They all groaned, turning to face their tormentors. "Step right up and get your tickets for the freak show."
"Who do you think would make more money in a freak show?" his "sidekick" asked. "Midnight", he punched Wasabi's chest, "Frogface", he nudged Michael's shoulder, "or Fanboy?" he flicked Fred's forehead.
"Hm...it's a tough call... But I'd have to go with Fanboy."
They both laughed and patted their own backs before nudging themselves between the three.
"Assholes."
Honey Lemon took in the morning breeze before walking into the High School building, joining the ocean of students. She tried to spot a familiar face, when...
"So, did he call?"
Honey Lemon gasped before realizing it was none other than her best friend, Gogo
"Keep your voice down!" Honey Lemon giggled.
"Did he?"
"I told you, it's not like that."
...
"Okay, I mean, yes, he likes me, but not like that. We just...made out a couple times." Honey Lemon said sheepishly as she opened her locker with dreamy eyes.
"'We just...made out a couple times'" GoGo quoted with a higher pitched voice and a goofy face. "Honey, seriously. You're gonna be so cool now, it's ridiculous."
"No, I'm not!"
"You better still hang out with me, that's all I'm sayin'."
Honey Lemon looks at her with disbelief.
If you become friends with Tommy H. or Carol-"
"Oh, that's gross! Okay, I'm telling you, it was a one-time...two-time thing"
Suddenly, Honey Lemon noticed a note in the corner of her locker. She unfolded it slowly. It read-
MEET ME IN THE BATHROOM
-STEVE
"You were saying?" GoGo smirked. "By the way, that's so cliche , it hurts."
Honey Lemon bit her lower lip before throwing the note away and rushing to the Girl's restroom.
"Steve."
"Mmhmm?"
"Get off of me," Honey Lemon laughed. "I really have to go."
"Wait, wait, wait, let's do something tonight, yeah?"
"Uh...no, I can't. I have to study for Kaminsky's test."
"Oh, come on. What's your GPA again? 3.999..."
"Kaminsky's tests are impossible." Honey Lemon argued.
"Well, then, just let me help."
"You failed chem."
"C-minus."
"Well, in that case..."
"So I'll be over around say, like, 8:00?"
"Are you crazy? My mom would not-"
"I'll climb through your window. She won't even know I'm there. I'm stealthy, like a ninja."
"You are crazy." Honey Lemon giggled before almost walking past him.
"Wait, wait, wait. Just...okay, forget about that. We can just...we can just, like, chill in my car. We can find a nice, quiet place to park, and..."
"Steve, I have to study. I'm not kidding."
"Well, why do you think I want it to be nice and quiet?"
"You're an idiot, Steve Harrington." she smiled softly, finally getting past him with a new attitude. She turned back to him before leaving.
"Meet me at Dearborn and Maple at 8:00. To study."
"Good of you to show."
"Oh, hey, morning, Flo. Morning, everybody."
"Hey, chief."
"Damn! You look like hell, chief."
"Oh, yeah? Well, I looked better than your wife when I left her this morning."
The officer's shared a good laugh and continued playing cards.
"While you were drinking or sleeping," the receptionist, Flo, chimed in, "or whatever it is you deemed so necessary on Monday morning, Phil Larson called. Said some kids are stealing the gnomes out of his garden again."
"Oh, those garden gnomes again. Well, I'll tell you what, I'm gonna get right on that."
"On a more pressing matter, Cassandra Hamada can't find her nephew this morning."
"Mmm. Okay, I'm gonna get on that, just give me a minute."
"Cass is very upset."
"Well, Flo, Flo, we've discussed this. Mornings are for coffee and contemplation."
"Chief, she's already in your-"
"Coffee and contemplation, Flo!"
He shook his head and sighed, turning the corner to his office only to find a worried Cass with a cigarette and a large jacket making her look like someone she wasn't. He was shocked it was even her standing before him.
"I have been waiting here over an hour, Callaghan."
"And I apologize for that-"
"I'm going out of my mind!"
"Look, a boy his age, he's probably playing hooky, okay?"
"No. Not my Hiro. He's not like that. He wouldn't do that."
"Well, you never know. I mean, my mom thought that I was on the debate team, really I was just screwing Chrissy Carpenter in the back of my dad's car, so..."
"Look, he's not like you, Callaghan. He's not like me. He's not like...most. He has a couple of friends, but, you know, the kids, they're mean. They make fun of him, they call him names. They laugh at him, his clothes-"
"His clothes? What's wrong with his clothes?"
"I don't know. Does that matter?"
"Maybe."
"Look, he's...He's a sensitive kid. Lonnie...Lonnie used to say he was queer, called him a fag."
"Is he?"
"He's missing is what he is!" Cass sighed, putting the cigarette in her mouth.
"When was the last time you heard from your ex-husband?"
Cass scoffed, taking the cigarette out of her mouth.
"Uh, last I heard, he was in Indianapolis. That was about a year ago. But he has nothing to do with this."
"Why don't you give me his number?"
"You know, Callaghan, he was nothing to do with this. Trust me.-"
"Cass. 99 out of 100 times, kid goes missing, the kid is with a parent or relative."
"Well-what about the other time?"
"...What?"
"You said '99 out of 100.' What about the other time? The one?"
"Cass-"
"The one!"
Cass shook her head, looking to her knees in concern while her trembling hands lifted the cigarette back into her mouth.
"Cass, it's Monday. Why don't you go ahead and do us both a favor by calling your ex-husband?"
"Okay, fine!" Cass snapped with anger filled eyes. "I will call Lonnie. He will talk to me before he talks to-"
"What, a pig?"
"A cop!" Cass corrected, still fuming with anger before sighing and dropping her shoulders. "Just find my nephew, Callaghan. Find him!" she cried, voice cracking.
Callaghan continued to look on in pity.
Four men in suits piled out of their cab, briefcases in hand. They walked to the entrance of the San Fransokyo National Laboratory to meet Dr. Krei. One of them smiled, extending his hand as he approached said doctor.
"Dr. Krei."
He accepted the greeting with a nod and a hand shake.
"This way, gentlemen. The entire east wing will be evacuated within the hour." A fellow scientist informed them. "We've sealed off this area following quarantine protocol." They all turned a corner as one of the guards in the building unzipped a tarp blocking an entryway, allowing them in. The five men went to the locker rooms, taking off their attire and zipping up into their body suits, helmets, and gloves. Each man was then handed a firearm as they stepped into the elevator that led underground. The elevator halted with a thud as the five men activated their flashlights to take in their new destination.
It was a long, unsettling hallway. The lights flickered and the over all color was a strange green. When they made it to the end of the hall, they turned a corner to find what looked like burn marks all the way up the walls. But when they looked closer, they discovered that it was a strange black slime that seemed to breathe on its own.
The men clenched their guns tighter than before.
When they entered the door at the end of the hallway, a large lab greeted them.
It was what was on the wall that was truly disturbing.
A large, slimy, dark, mysterious...something was clenched to the wall. The thing made a skin crawling growl and it also seemed to be breathing.
"This is where it came from?" one of the men asked.
"Yes." Krei replied.
"And the girl?"
"She can't have gone far." he deadpanned.
Crunch went the leaves under the girl's feet as she tiredly walked through the orange forest. After walking for what seemed like forever, she finally spotted what looked like a house up ahead. A middle-aged man came out the back door, trash bag in hand. he slung it into the dumpster before stepping back inside.
The girl squinted her eyes at him, walking towards the house.
When she opened the door, she was instantly greeted with the sound of music and friendly conversation. She walked down a hallway of shelves, stocked to the brim with canned corn and other goods. She turned another corner to discover that she wasn't in a house.
She was in a restaurant.
"Alright, and one more." the man from before said, placing a tray of fries on a table.
"Hey, Ben," the man he served the fries to asked, "What do you think about that, uh... offer?"
"I don't know man, I don't know."
"I don't know, 37 points per game average-"
"37 now, but..."
She paid no mind to their conversation, turning into the kitchen. The world came to a halt when she noticed what was on the main counter.
A perfect, greasy tray of french fries.
She looked around, making sure no one saw her before she picked up a fry and bit into it. She looked up one more time to make sure the man didn't see her before taking a handful of french fries and shoving them in her mouth.
The man turned back around, stopping in his tracks when he spotted her. He furrowed his eyebrows in anger.
"Hey!"
Her eyes widened as she grabbed the tray and ran for it.
"Come back here!"
She opened the kitchen door and sprinted for the exit, but she didn't get far.
"You think you can steal from me, boy?!" he snarled, grabbing her by the shoulders. His face melted into confusion when he took in her appearance. Her head was shaved, she must have been 30 pounds, dirt was smudged on her face, and she wore a torn hospital gown.
"What in the hell?"
"Remember, finish chapter 12 and answer 12.3 on the difference between an experiment and other forms of science investigation. This will be on the test, which will cover chapters 10 through 12! It will be a multiple choice with an essay section..." Mr. Clarke trailed off, sighing and lowering his head as his students piled out of the classroom. He turned his head, smiling when he saw the excited faces of Fredrick, Lucas-or Wasabi, as Fred insisted, and Michael. Though, they seemed to be short a person...
"So, did it come?" Michael asked.
"Sorry boys." Mr. Clarke's smile faded, "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but...it came!"
The three boys rushed into the school supply closet in his classroom, desperately throwing themselves at the desk in the center of the room.
"Yes!" Michael cheered.
"The Heathkit ham shack. Ain't she a beaut?" Mr. Clarke grinned, gesturing to the large radio in the middle of the room.
"I bet you could talk to New York on this thing." said Fred.
"Think bigger."
"California?" Wasabi widened his eyes.
"Bigger."
"Australia?"
Mr. Clarke nodded as the boys gasped in awe.
"When Hiro sees this, he's totally gonna blow his shit."
"Lucas!" Mr. Clarke scolded.
"Sorry."
Mr. Clarke shook his head, smiling brightly at him as Michael put on the headphones and spoke into the microphone in an Australian accent.
"Hello, this is Mike Wheeler, president of San Fransokyo High AV Club-"
Fred snatched the headphones before he could finish, grinning as he leaned toward the microphone.
"What are you doing?" Wasabi chuckled.
"Hello, this is Fred," he spoke in an Australian accent as well, "and this is the secretary and treasurer of San Fransokyo High AV Club. Do you eat kangaroos for breakfast?"
Before Wasabi could have a turn, the principal walked in, Sheriff Callaghan following.
"Sorry to interrupt, but, uh, may I borrow Lucas, Frederick and Michael?"
"Okay, okay, okay. One at a time, alright?" Callaghan huffed at the three on the couch in front of him. "You." he looked at Michael. "You said he takes what?"
"Mirkwood."
"Mirkwood?"
"Yeah."
"Have you ever heard of Mirkwood?" Callaghan asked the officer next to him.
"I have not. That sounds made up to me."
"No, it's from Lord of the Rings." Wasabi added.
"Well, The Hobbit."
"It doesn't matter."
"He asked!"
"Oh, 'he asked!'"
"Hey, hey, hey! What'd I just say? One at a damn time! You." he pointed at Michael again.
"Mirkwood, it's a real road. It's just the name that's made up. It's where Cornwallis and Kerley meet."
"Yeah, alright." Callaghan mutters, "I think I know what-"
"We can show you, if you want."
"I said that I know it!"
"We can help look!" Michael finally says.
"Yeah." Fred replies.
"No." Callaghan says sternly.
The three boys argue in response.
"No! After school, you are all to go home. Immediately. That means no biking around looking for your friend, no investigating, no nonsense. This isn't some Lord of the Rings book."
"The Hobbit."
"Shut up!" Wasabi reaches over to punch Fred in the chest. The two start fighting while Michael stares at his hands in annoyance. Callaghan leans forward with cold eyes.
"Do I make myself clear?" he asks softly. When he gets no response, he stands, walking towards them slowly. "Do I make myself...clear?"
"Yes, sir."
"Yeah."
Cass walks through the forest, coming across a fort decorated in blankets and paint. She walks to the front with a smile, pressing a button on the side.
"Ring a ding ding! Anybody home?"
"Password?" Hiro asks from inside.
"Uh, Rada...Radaga-Radagast?"
"...Yeah. Come in."
"Thank you, sir." she smiles, opening the curtain to find Hiro sitting alone with a book.
"So, guess what? I closed up early, and..." she excitedly pulled out two movie tickets, "Ta-da! Poltergeist."
"I-I thought I wasn't allowed to see it."
"I changed my mind." Cass grinned. "As long as you don't have nightmares for a week."
"Aunt Cass, I'm 15 years old. I don't get scared anymore."
"Oh, yeah? Not even of clowns?"
"No."
"What about my witch?" Cass smirks, squinting her eyes and pointing her finger at Hiro.
"No, Aunt Cass-"
"Ooh..."
"Aunt Cass!-"
"But Hiro Hamada... I want to cook you up in my-"
S-stop! Haha! Aunt Cass that's so stupid!"
...
Aunt Cass sighed in defeat when she discovered Hiro's fort was empty. She dropped her head. What now?
"Hiro!" Tadashi shouted from behind.
"Hiro! Hiro?!"
Tadashi took a shaky breath of concern in the bitter cold. Wherever Hiro was, he hoped he was warm...
"HIRO!" he cried, "WHERE ARE YOU?!"
The owner of the restaurant flipped a hamburger on the grill, glancing back at the kid at the table. He took a breath before preparing the hamburger and returning to her, placing the meal in front of her. He gave her one of his shirts. He cleaned her off. But there was something about her that still set him off.
She instantly bit into the burger, eating almost half of it instantly.
"Geez." he sighed, "Your parents forget to feed you?"
She paid no mind to him, taking another bite.
"Is that why you ran away?" he prodded.
Nothing.
"They, uh...they hurt you?"
Silence.
"You went to the hospital, you got scared, you ran off, you wound up here, is that it?"
She looked up, but said nothing.
"All right," he said, taking the hamburger away from her and waving it around. "I'll give this back, all right? And you can have as much as you want. Maybe even some ice cream. But you gotta answer a few of my questions first, all right? We got a deal?"
She stared at him, taking a deep breath.
"Let's start with the easy stuff, all right? My name's Benny. Benny Hammond." he held his hand out. She stared at it in confusion. "See, like this," he took her hand. She looked at him in fear. "I got you. Don't worry. It's okay. Nice to meet you. And you are?"
She continued to stare. He sighed in defeat before noticing a black 011 on her forearm. She took her arm away quickly.
"Eleven? What's that mean? What's it mean?"
"No," she said quietly.
"Well, I'll be damned. She speaks." he laughed softly. "'No'? No, what?"
She looked down at her hands.
"All right," he clicked his tongue, "I guess no more food, then."
She watched him get up with sad eyes, until...
"Eleven."
"Yeah." he sat back down. "What's it mean?"
She pointed at herself.
"Eleven."
"All right then." he nodded, pushing the tray back to her as she dove into it. "Here you go." he chuckled. "Take it easy, take it easy."
"Look, all I know is that she's scared to death."
...
"Yeah, I think maybe she's been abused or... kidnapped or something."
...
"Yes, it'd be great if someone would come by."
...
"Okay, we're at 4819 Randolph Lane. Yes, Randolph."
Eleven sat alone in the diner, eating her third hamburger when a rattling noise came to her attention. She slowly looked up at a rattling fan, glaring daggers at it. She lowered her head, her glaring intensifying when...
Screech
It stopped.
Eleven looked satisfied as she continued eating.
Callaghan took two officers with him to what Michael said was "Mirkwood", a hidden road near the forest.
"Hiro Hamada!" the officers shouted. "Come on, kid! Come out!"
Callaghan walked forward with a sigh, opening his medication bottle and taking a pill. He scanned the area before landing his eyes on a ditch in the forest.
"Hey! I got something!" he shouted, rushing to the ditch where a blue bike lay abandoned.
"That his bike?" an officer asked.
"Yeah, he must have crashed." Callaghan observed, looking around the forest.
"You think he got hurt in the fall?"
"Not so hurt he couldn't walk away. Bike like this is like a Cadillac to these kids. He would've walked it home."
The three officers glanced at each other in suspicion, continuing their search for Hiro Hamada.
"Is Lonnie there?"
"Lonnie isn't here right now."
"Can you please-"
"I told you, Lonnie's not here."
"Who is this?"
"His girlfriend, Cynthia."
"Cynthia."
"Who the hell is this?"
"Cynthia, this is Cass."
"Who?"
"Lonnie's ex-wife. I really need to speak to him-"
"Lonnie's not here."
"Can you please put-"
"Why don't you call back later?"
"No! No, not later. Now. Can-"
Beep...
"Bitch!" Cass snarled, hanging up the phone with a thud.
"Aunt Cass!"
"What?!"
"You have to stay calm."
Cass only laughed bitterly in response, dialing his number again.
"Hey, you've reached Lonnie. Leave a message and I'll holler right back at ya."
Beep...
"Lonnie, some teenager just hung up on me. Hiro is...is missing. I don't know where he is. I need... I just need you to call me back, please, just-"
Beep...
"Damn it! Damn it!"
"...Aunt Cass?"
"What?"
The sound of cars approaching from outside made Cass's head perk up.
"Cops."
Cass and Tadashi tore through the front door, looking at the police cars in worry as Callaghan opened his trunk and pulled out a bike. Cass gasped loudly as Tadashi closed his eyes, trying to believe this was all some horrible dream. A prank, something- anything but this. The cops all followed the Hamada's back inside.
"It was just lying there?" Cass's voice cracked.
"Yeah. Bill?" Callaghan gestured for the officer to examine the house.
"Did it have any blood on it, or-"
"No, no, no, no, no..."
"If you found the bike out there, why are you here?" Tadashi asked, voice and hands trembling.
"Well, he had a key to the house, right?"
"Yeah." Tadashi nodded.
"So...maybe he came home."
"You think I didn't check my own house?!" Cass questioned.
"I'm not saying that." Callaghan suddenly noticed a small hole in the wall, no bigger than his thumb. "Has this always been here?"
"What? I don't know. Probably, I have two boys. Look at this place!"
Callaghan opened the garage door, noticing that the knob matched the hole perfectly.
"You're not sure?"
Cass sighed, looking down at her shoes. Mochi began moaning loudly from inside the garage, facing a spot near the corner and growling at it.
"Hey, what's up with this guy, huh?" Callaghan cooed, petting his head to calm him.
"Nothing, he's probably just hungry. Come on." Cass mumbled, picking up the cat and taking it back inside.
Callaghan stood back up, walking towards the spot that Mochi was growling at in suspicion. A loaded gun lay on the floor with a spilled box of bullets next to it. He picked up the box, eyeing it carefully. When he set the box down, the lights gave out loudly, making Callaghan furrow his eyebrows in confusion. He took the flashlight from his belt, shining it all around the garage. A strange squelching noise came from the spot Mochi growled at before. He looked down, shining his flashlight to see a strange black slime. His heart rate began to speed up, when...
"Hey!"
"Jesus!" Callaghan growled, looking at Bill in anger.
"What are you, deaf? I've been calling you."
Callaghan shook in fear, extremely unsettled by the paranormal garage.
"What's going on?"
Callaghan ignored him, walking right past him with determination.
"Are you sure you're okay, Chief?"
"Listen, I want you to call Flo. I want to get a search party together, alright? All the volunteers she can muster. Bring flashlights, too."
"Hey, you think there's a problem here?"
Callaghan ignored him again, entering the house.
"We should be out there right now. We should be helping look for him."
"We've been over this, Mike. The chief says-"
"I don't care what the chief said!"
"Michael!"
The Wheeler's argued over dinner, well, two of them did at least. Michael didn't care what anyone said. That was one of his best friends out there, and he was sitting in his house just...waiting. For news. For anything. And he couldn't take it anymore.
"We have to do something," he continued, "Hiro can be in danger!"
"More reason to stay put." Mrs. Wheeler mumbled.
"Mom-!"
"End of discussion."
...
"So...me and Gogo are gonna study at her house tonight." Honey Lemon smiled excitedly. "That's cool, right?"
"No, not cool."
"What? Why not?"
"Why do you think? Am I speaking Chinese in this house? Until we know Hiro is okay, no one leaves."
"This is such bullshit."
"Language."
"So we're under house arrest? Just because Mike's friend got lost on his way home from-"
"Wait, this is Hiro's fault?!" Michael fumed at his sister.
"Honey, take that back."
"No!"
"You're just pissed off 'cause you wanna hang out with Steve."
...
"Steve?" Mr. Wheeler asked.
"Who is Steve?"
"Her new boyfriend."
"You are such a douchebag, Mike!" Honey Lemon snarled.
"Language!" Mr. Wheeler yelled.
Honey Lemon rose from her chair, storming out of the room and upstairs.
"Honey, come back." Mrs. Wheeler ordered.
She kept walking.
"Come back!"
The youngest Wheeler, Holly, looked at her mother with worried eyes.
"It's okay. It's okay, Holly. Here, have some juice, okay?"
"You see, Michael?" Mr. Wheeler prodded. "You see what happens?"
"What happens when what?!" Michael shouted. "I'm the only one acting normal here! I'm the only one who cares about Hiro!"
"That is really unfair, son. We care."
Michael lifted his finger to say something before getting up and leaving.
"Michael-"
"Let him go." Mr. Wheeler said. Mrs. Wheeler looked at him in anger as he nonchalantly ate his dinner.
"I hope you're enjoying your chicken, Ted." she snarled, getting up and taking Holly with her.
"What did I do?"
She ignored him, leaving the table.
"Hey! What'd I do?"
"Hiro!"
"Hiro Hamada!"
"Hiro, we're here for you, bud!"
...
"He's a good student."
"What?"
"Hiro. He's a good student." Mr. Clarke tells Callaghan. "Great one, actually. I don't think we've met. Scott Clarke." he extends his hand. "Teacher, San Fransokyo High. Earth and Biology."
"I always had a distaste for science."
"Well, maybe you had a bad teacher."
"Yeah, Ms. Ratliff was a piece of work."
"Ratliff? You bet. She's still kicking around, believe it or not."
"Oh, I believe it. Mummies never die, so they tell me. Abigail, my daughter...galaxies, the universe, whatnot...she always understood all that stuff. I always figured there was enough going on down here, I never needed to look elsewhere."
"Your daughter, what grade is she? Maybe I'll get her in my class."
"No, she, uh...she lives with her mom in the city."
...
"Thanks for coming out, Teach. We really appreciate it." he said finally before taking a different route to search for Hiro.
"She died a few years back." said a woman from behind the teacher.
"Sorry?"
"His kid." she replied, turning the other way.
"Wasabi, do you copy? It's Mike. Wasabi?"
Wasabi sat on his bed, extending the antenna on his walkie-talkie.
"Hey, it's Wasabi."
"I know it's you. And say 'over' when you're done talking so I know when your done. Over."
"I'm done. Over." Wasabi said sarcastically.
"I'm worried about Hiro. Over."
"Yeah," Wasabi sighed, laying down, "this is crazy. Over."
"I was thinking... Hiro could've cast protection last night, but he didn't. He cast fireball. Over."
"What's your point? Over."
"My point is...he could've played it safe, but he didn't. He put himself in danger to help the party. Over."
Wasabi sighed in suspicion.
"Meet me in ten. Over and out."
Michael smiled in victory, grabbing his backpack and peddling away from his house. He stopped in front of the house, watching as Steve Harrington pathetically attempted to climb the roof. Steve saw him and waved before continuing with his task.
Michael rolled his eyes and peddled away.
Honey Lemon sat in her room, shuffling through her note cards in concentration. She bopped her head to her radio playing and she enjoyed being alone.
For about 10 seconds.
Tap tap
Honey Lemon whipped her head to her window, eyes as large as saucers when she saw Steve's face. She marched to the window and threw it open.
"What are you doing here?!" she whisper-yelled. "I told you on the phone, I'm under house arrest!"
"I figured we'd just study here." he shrugged.
"No. No way."
"Oh, come on," Steve grinned, entering the room and making his way toward her desk, "we can't have you failing this test. So just bear with me."
She scoffed, shutting the window with a smile and a shake of the head.
Ben did the dishes, eyeing Eleven every once in a while as she devoured a pint of strawberry ice cream.
"You like that ice cream, huh?" he teased.
She smiled softly at him.
"Smile looks good on you."
She tilted her head.
"You know, smile?" he smiled largely at her. She nodded and smiled back.
Suddenly, a knock on the door shattered their peace and quiet. Eleven's eyes went wide, searching Benny's for answers.
"All right. You just sit tight. Whoever it is, I'll tell 'em to go away real quick, alright?" he teased again, trying to lighten the mood. They knocked again, making Benny roll his eyes in annoyance, "Yeah, yeah, yeah..." he grabbed the knob, opening to see a woman- late 30s, early 40s- smiling brightly at him. "Hey, can I help you?"
"Hi, you must be Benny Hammond." she greeted.
"I'm afraid I am. I'm afraid we're closed for the evening, too. So try back tomorrow morning-"
"Connie Frazier." she interrupted. "Social Services."
"Ah, Social Services. My apologies. I didn't expect you so soon. That's a heck of a drive."
"Not too bad this time of night."
"Hey, listen, I... I haven't told her you're coming yet. I didn't wanna run her off again. She's a tad skittish."
"Children I work with usually are."
"Right, right."
"So, where is she?"
"Right. She's in the kitchen. Come on up, I'll introduce you."
"Thank you."
"Sorry again for trying to turn you away there."
"It's fine."
"You know, it's funny. Your, uh, your voice sounds different on the-"
BANG!
Eleven gasped as the man that tended to her that night fell dead on the ground, drenched in a pool of his own blood. The woman looked up and stared at Eleven. She sprinted off the counter and darted to the exit. Before she could escape, however, two men with loaded guns blocked the exit. In the back, Dr. Krei entered, stepping over the dead body. His head snapped up when a loud thud came from the front, and he ran to find the two men lying dead on the ground.
And no Eleven.
Wasabi, Fred, and Michael all rode their bikes together, the cold biting harshly at their every bone.
"Ah, man. This is it." Wasabi sighed as they pulled up to where they found Hiro's bike. Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed as they approached the barriers blocking the way to the area.
"Hey guys, you feel that?" Fred asked, a drop of rain landing on his forehead. "I think maybe we should go back."
"No." Michael demanded, "We're not going back. Just stay close. Come on."
Fred didn't make a move.
"Just stay on channel 6. Don't do anything stupid."
Fred hesitated, watching his friends go past the barriers and into the woods.
"...hey guys! Wait up!"
"'Which polymers occur naturally?'"
"Starch and...Cellulose."
"Mm-hm." Steve nodded, going to the next card.
"'In a molecule of CH4, the hydrogen atoms are spatially oriented towards the center of-"
"Tetrahedrons."
"Wow. Jesus, how many of these did you make?"
"You said you wanted to help." Honey Lemon shrugged.
"How about this. How about...every time that you get something right, I have to take off an item of clothing. But every time that you get something wrong-'"
"Uh, pass."
"Oh, come on. Come on!"
"No."
"It'll be fun!"
"No!"
"'During fractional distillation, hydrocarbons are separated according to their-'"
"Melting point."
"Ooh. It's boiling points."
"That's what I meant."
"Yeah, that's not what you said." he smirked, unbuttoning his top button.
"No!"
"No? Oh, do you need... Do you need help, or..."
"No." she smiled, leaning into his kiss. He kissed back, reaching over to unbutton her top button.
"Steve, are you crazy? My parents are here."
Steve looked back at the door, furrowing his eyebrow in confusion.
"That's weird, I... I don't see them."
"Was this your plan all along?" Honey Lemon asked, suddenly hurt. "To...to get in my room and then...get another notch on your belt?"
"No, Honey, no-"
"I'm not Laurie, or Amy, or Becky."
"You mean, you're not a slut."
"That's not what I'm saying."
"You know, you're so cute when you lie."
"Shut up." Honey giggled. Steve smiled, grabbing a teddy bear from behind her and making a silly face.
"Bad Steve. Bad."
"You're an idiot, Steve Harrington."
"You're beautiful, Honey Lemon Wheeler."
"Tadashi, wow. You took these? These are great." Cass kissed Tadashi's cheek, sorting through the mounds of pictures on the table. A majority of them were of Hiro. A tear slid down Cass's cheek. "Wow, they really are... I know I haven't been there for you. I've been...working so hard and I...I just feel bad. I don't even...barely know what's going on with you. I am sorry about that." she sniffed, rubbing his knee. Tears pricked at the corners of Tadashi's eyes as his lip quivered. Cass's eyes filled with even more concern than before.
"Hey, what is it? What is it, honey?"
"Nothing." Tadashi shrugged, sniffling and looking down at his hands as he folded and unfolded them.
"Tell me, tell me. Come on, you can.."
"No." his voice cracked, "It's just...I should've been there for him." he pressed at his eyes with the heels of his hands, his back bouncing with every sob.
"No. Oh, no. You can't do that to yourself. This was not your fault, do you hear me? He is...close. I know it, I... feel it, in my heart. You just have to... you have to trust me on this, okay?"
"Y-yeah..." he replied weakly.
"Oh, look at this. Look at this one." Cass smiled. They both laughed at the photo. It was Hiro. Just Hiro. Perfectly Hiro. "I mean, that's it, right? This is the one we'll use for the poster."
"Yeah." Tadashi nodded happily, laying his head on her shoulder.
"That's it. That's the one."
Ring! Ring!
Cass bolted up from the table, throwing herself at the phone.
"Hello?"
SSSSS
"Hello? Lonnie? Callaghan?"
SSSSS
"Who is this?"
Breathing came from the other end. Cass gasped.
"Hiro?!"
"It's Hiro?!" Tadashi jumped from his seat, rushing to her side.
A growling came from the other end, getting closer to the phone.
"Aunt Cass, it's Hiro?!"
Cass sobbed violently, the growling noise making the breathing get faster.
"Who is this?!"
GGGRRRSSS
"What have you done to my boy?!"
"What? What?!" Tadashi cried.
"Give me back my nephew-!"
CRACK
The phone shocked, making Cass drop it in fear. Both sides of it were burnt. Tadashi picked it up anyway, bringing it to his ear.
"Hello? Hello, who is this?! Hello?!"
Cass continued crying and screaming in fear behind him.
"Aunt Cass, who was it? What was it?!"
"It was him," she sobbed.
"Look at me, Aunt Cass! Was it Hiro?!"
"Yes!"
"What did he say?!"
"He just breathed. He just breathed!"
"And someone else was there?"
"I...IT WAS HIM!"
"AUNT CASS!"
"HIRO!"
"Hiro!"
"Hey, Hamada!"
"I've got your X-Men 134!"
...
"Guys, I seriously think we should turn back!" Fred shouted over the sheet of rain that came down above.
"Seriously, Fred?!" Wasabi groaned. "You wanna be a baby? Go home already!"
"I'm just being realistic, Wasabi!"
"No, you're just being a sissy!"
"Did you ever think Will went missing because he ran into something bad? And we're going into the exact spot where he was last seen? And we have no weapons or anything?"
"Fred, shut up."
"I'm just saying, does that seem smart to you?"
"Shut up. Shut up." Michael stopped.
"What?"
"Did you guys hear that?"
A rustling sound came from behind, making them all jump and turn towards the sound. They all gasped when they saw a teenager with a shaved head and a large yellow shirt on, dripping wet.