Make Her a Member of the Midnight Crew
Disclaimer: I don't own Big Hero 6 or any of the characters involved.
A/N: A short chapter. Sorry about that, I'm having huge writer's block issues and I want to gague interest. Thanks! -A
11:30PM was never the ideal time to be working in the lab. It was cold, it was dark, and worst of all, there was nobody to ask for advice. Tadashi had always believed that a little peace and a little quiet was the perfect recipe for a creative mind, but silence could be deafening. It certainly was that night.
But he was so, so close. Baymax would work this time, he was sure of it. What else could possibly go wrong? Were there really any variables that he hadn't accounted for?
Apparently so. The second he activated the robot, Baymax's cameras started opening and closing rapidly, almost as if he was blinking to get something out of his eyes or creating a stop-motion film. Tadashi sighed, deactivating the unit before collapsing on top of his calculations.
Locking the doors before he exited, Tadashi made his way to his bike and drove back to the café. Another night wasted.
He really needed a night-friend.
Every sketchy movie-deal is made at the same time. Midnight. So why did he agree to come tonight?
The sky was empty; the moon and stars hid behind clouds like children behind a parent. It wasn't dark, though. Lights from every building of San Fransokyo flooded across the harbor, illuminating even the small streets across the river, where he stood, waiting for something, anything to go right—or wrong. He shouldn't have made this deal; it was a risky move even talking to the man.
But Tadashi Hamada knew the risks.
Suddenly, darkness fell. This must be it. Tadashi toook a tentative step forward, not bothering to look where he was going but all too confident that he wasn't doing the right thing. What had been solid ground just a second ago was turning… mushy, almost like a literal cakewalk. With each step, he moved faster to try and escape. By the time he was running, the ground had engulfed him.
He opened his eyes and gasped when he fell into a viscous, blue, water-like substance. A mask, white and red, floated just outside of his reach, taunting him, drawing him in, like it was a part of who he was...
As soon as his fingertip brushed against the surface, the world shattered.
"Tadashi? Are you alright?"
Tadashi smiled faintly and glanced at the clock. 5:30? Damn. There definitely wasn't enough time for him to get back to sleep. Hiro was sitting up in his bed, eyes closed but apparently awake.
"Yeah. Sorry, Hiro. Just a bad dream." That seemed to settle the boy down. "You can go back to sleep." As if his words were an alarm, Hiro immediately fell backwards into a sleeping position and pulled the covers over his head. Within seconds, he was snoring again. Tadashi chuckled. If only he had more time.
Even after a shower, Tadashi was ready for school by 6:30. He groaned; his first class of the day wasn't for another hour and a half. He considered working on a smaller project, but Aunt Cass, Hiro, and Mochi were all alseep. Instead, he found a notepad and wrote, 'Woke up early, went out for breakfast before class. –Tadashi.' Ripping the note away from the rest, Tadashi stuck it on the café's counter and quietly exited into the morning air.
He should have brought a heavier coat. The late October air was dry, cold, and tasted like the asphalt city crews had been laying down just around the corner. The seat of his motorcycle was no warmer, but the vibrations calmed him as he wove his way down the streets of San Fransokyo. Shops were just beginning to open, restauraunts were cooking up all sorts of delicacies for breakfast. But Tadashi had other plans.
Within minutes, he was at a park not far from the university. With a small smile, he slid off of his bike and turned it off, making sure his keys were in his pocket before wandering away. A vendor stood just outside the gates, selling food to some students making their way to early classes and to professionals going to work. Digging a few half-crumped bills out of his backpack, Tadashi bought a small sandwich and box of milk and gave the change to a man sitting quietly on the curb. When the older man saw the coins, his eyes lit up with gratitude. Tadashi smiled warmly in return.
He wandered through the park for a few minutes before settling down on a bench not far from his bike. Pulling out his phone, he started scrolling through his tumblr dash before he heard a pair of wheels skid to a stop in front of him.
"Tadashi." He looked up at the voice's owner, the corners of his mouth turning up a bit. "What are you doing here?"