Author's Note: While I certainly have a tentative outline for the sequence of events that will be covered in this series, I wanted to thank those who provide me with reviews. This creative process is always changing and growing, and your input certainly helps me to explore different directions. Sincerely, thank you for the feedback and please keep them coming.
As a fair warning or disclaimer, this chapter will be… rather serious. And some of the imagery may not sit well with some readers. But I hope that it will help to show the impact of the events within the movie. Perhaps even provoke some sympathy… or not. Curious how this chapter will be received. A bit shorter, but wanted to be from one perspective for this part of the story.
While I deemed that the story would have to go towards a serious tone at this part of it, I promise that it won't all be dark clouds and there will be moments of sunshine and happiness lol. I am really enjoying this process if anything else. Please enjoy and stay tuned!
Warning: Light violence, Possibly Disturbing Imagery
Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or Big Hero 6: The Series.
The Penitent Sparrow
Chapter 2: The Death of a Phantom
Within the elongated halls of the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology's renowned Ito Ishioka Robotics Lab, roamed a tall middle-aged man dressed in a green sweater vest, blue dress shirt and dark brown slacks. Beneath his graying hair and slightly wrinkled, fair skin, his large blue eyes gazed affectionately around this building he had long since come to love as a familiar, "second home." It was a place where brilliant young minds were developed and challenged to succeed. With several documents in hand, Professor Callaghan began to walk towards the elevator to return to his main office on the other side of the campus. Until, he suddenly heard an excited voice beaming across the halls, emanating from one his student's personal labs.
"You work! I can't- I can't believe it! Okay, all right. Big moment here. Scan me…" the voice rang out with unrestrained elation and anticipation. "/Your neurotransmitter levels are elevated. This indicates you are happy./" a robotic voice responded, its tone both informative and yet oddly warm or comforting despite its lack of overt emotional expression. Professor Callaghan recognized these voices, with a warm and proud smile worn on his face, he walked curiously in their direction.
"I am. I really am. Oh man, wait 'til my brother sees you. You're going to help so many people, buddy. So many. That's all for now, I am satisfied with my care," Tadashi said with an expression of exhilaration and triumphant pride. After 84 separate test trials to get his programming functioning properly, Tadashi had made a tremendous stride in developing his robotic healthcare companion.
"It seems you've made quite the breakthrough, Mr. Hamada," Professor Callaghan spoke proudly to his protege, as he opened the door of Tadashi's lab. As he walked in, he saw Tadashi's creation deflate neatly into a red, compact charging container on the floor. "Professor Callaghan! I have! It certainly took a 'few' tries, but I just could never bring myself to give up on Baymax and it really paid off!" Tadashi exclaimed, beaming with an ecstatic expression at the progress of his passion project. His excitement almost childlike and energetic.
These trials required unyielding perseverance to reach any progress, a fact that was not lost on Professor Callaghan. But this was why he had spent much of his time specifically mentoring Tadashi. His beloved protege aspired to dedicate the development of his technology towards helping people and bettering the world. For Professor Callaghan, Tadashi epitomized his own ideals of using technology to shape the future, beyond simply improving technology for personal gain or vanity.
Professor Callaghan shared in this moment with his most promising and beloved student, wearing a warm, fatherly smile at the pride he felt for Tadashi. It was a moment he wanted to cherish…
Until suddenly, the walls around the two began to combust and became rapidly engulfed in flames. "What's happening? No! Tadashi!" the professor yelled as he witnessed this surreal horror, reaching out his hands towards his student to pull him away from the flames. But instead, Tadashi did not seem to notice the flames and looked towards his professor with an expression of concern towards his mentor. "Professor Callaghan? What's wrong?" Tadashi asked with caring concern, still oblivious to the flames that were now engulfing his body.
Horrified, Callaghan yelled for his student with an agonizing sense of powerlessness. He was perplexed at his inability to move, feeling a massive force that seemed to pull him away. It was actively stopping him from reaching towards his protege in an attempt to rescue him. In complete terror, the professor watched as his student was now unrecognizable. The silhouette of Tadashi's image, a figure of burnt ash that was crumbling and fading away. The only thing that would not burn or fade away, his black San Fransokyo Ninja baseball cap that he would seldom be seen without. The iconic hat, slowly falling to the floor.
Suddenly, the force that was holding Callaghan back became more visible and had grown exponentially in size. Professor Callaghan felt the chaotic movement of small machines around him, as they formed a massive black tendril that enwrapped him and pulled him outside of the building. However, he noticed that he was not outside the Ito Ishioka Robotics Lab… he recognized the surroundings of a white, modern architectural structure that was now being torn apart as fragments floated towards the sky. He was outside of the Krei Tech Industries headquarters building.
He was then pulled violently across the plaza, where the tendril of microbots lifted and suspended him in the air as he attempted to resist. Looming before the professor, a dark, intimidating figure emerged beneath the aggregation of the small machinery. Donning a long black coat, he floated menacingly towards the professor and seemingly glared at him through the "eyes" of a Kabuki mask.
The mask shifted upwards, terrifying Professor Callaghan. It revealed beneath the mask was the face of Callaghan, but with unfettered hatred possessing his expression. A face that was obviously familiar, and yet oddly not recognizable to the professor, in disbelief of what he was seeing. As the phantom opened his mouth to speak to the enwrapped professor, the mismatched voice that erupted out of the phantom would haunt Callaghan to his very soul. Yokai spoke to Callaghan, but his voice was not his own, but rather the anguished voice of the young boy, Hiro Hamada, "You just let him die… He went in there to save you!"
Professor Callaghan sat up explosively from his bed, gasping to catch his breath as his heart pounded incessantly. Shaking uncontrollably, his hands in tremors, as his eyes searched around him to realize that he was not at the Ito Ishioka Robotics Lab nor the Krei Tech Industries building. Adjusting to the reality of where he was, he touched the transparent wall next to him as he attempted to calm himself down. Within these confined, transparent walls and bright white surroundings, his panicked breathing echoed within the room and his head. "That… nightmare again…" he muttered to himself weakly, exhausted at the ordeal.
Hiro's anguished words that he spoke to him in the nightmare and at their fated encounter on Akuma Island, echoed sharply in Callaghan's mind. His tormented thoughts wandered towards the young boy, recalling the day that he was surprised to be visited by him. Of course, he only came to learn more about Professor Callaghan's former SFIT colleague, Grace Granville. He fully understood that there was a possibility the boy would not forgive him or would even respond harshly. But he knew it had to be said, he was compelled to take that opportunity to thank Hiro for rescuing his Abigail and… apologize for what happened to Tadashi from his own selfish actions. Sorrowfully, he recalled Hiro's parting words, "Tadashi… would've wanted me to forgive you… Someday, I hope I can."
The former professor smiled to himself in a self-admonishing way, thinking to himself that he was foolish to even hope that Hiro would forgive him. He painfully understood what he had inadvertently taken away from the young boy. In his confinement, with only time to himself, Callaghan found that he was now mourning and processing the grief at the loss of his beloved protege, Tadashi. And at his own hands… He wondered if he could even forgive himself, or that there was any possibility to make amends to the Hamada's.
His eyes drifted around his cell, always drawn to the one thing in it that was the one thing that was truly his. He stared at the photograph hung up on the wall, the image of his precious daughter in her pilot suit, seemingly smiling back at him. His dearest Abigail… she too could not forgive him for the things he did, all in the name of avenging her apparent death. When Abigail had recovered, she would visit him only once… but as she learned of the events that transpired after her disappearance in that accursed project, she couldn't even stand to look at her own father. And thereafter, Callaghan had never heard from her since. He had nowhere else to take solace in his life, aside from the reality that at least he knew that his Abigail was safe. At least, he could take comfort that she was back. And with her return, the phantom, "Yokai," had died.
Deep in thought as he sat staring at his hands as if they were stained in blood, Callaghan did not notice someone enter through the doorway beyond his cell until he saw them in his periphery. His eyes slowly raised to see the beloved person that was everything to him, all he had left in this life. Abigail stood before him, her face holding a nearly cold expression as she attempted to restrain her emotions. "Hey, Dad…"