"Oh my God, Baymax!" Tadashi splutters around a mouthful of leaves as he crawls out of a bush on his hands and feet and hurriedly stands up; a few leaves stick to his hair and dirt covers his clothes, but he's mostly unharmed–not that that stops him from giving Baymax the stink eye. "I know I asked for a way out, but you couldn't have picked a safer approach? You know, something other than pushing me out the window?!"

Baymax–that fluffy demonic marshmallow–tilts his head and blinks, just like a five-year-old would when they're playing dumb. With a matter-of-fact tone, he states, "I did not push you. I carried you."

Tadashi stares. Then, he stares some more. "Did Hiro program you to back talk people too or did I?"

Another blink. "I learned it myself."

He grunts, unsurprised. He's been spending way too much time with Hiro. "Yeah, I'm going to go." He takes a few steps forward then points to the building behind him. "You can just...head back to the apartment, 'kay?"

Baymax waddles after him. "I cannot deactivate until you say, 'I am satisfied with my care.'"

Tadashi repeats it, absentminded; he misses how Baymax rummages around the bushes and pulls out a key before he totters toward the apartment.

What to do...What to do...

...He really should've thought this through more. So absorbed in his own thoughts, he doesn't even notice his feet bringing him to the steps of the place he knows and loves best until he stops.

He looks up. And his heart stutters. Damn. He shouldn't be here! Hiro's at SFIT right now. The problems he'd run into! Tadashi groans and slaps a hand to his eyes, already imagining the reprimands and steely looks–but then he peeks through his fingers at the building.

As long as I don't get caught...

With that in mind, Tadashi steps through the front doors and into the halls, passing by a few classrooms, lecture halls, and offices. He only pauses when he reaches Professor Callaghan's office, or rather, his old office. Professor Michael Sherwood is now printed on the plaque beside the door along. It's an odd sight but he doesn't give it much consideration other than as a passing thought.

Tadashi picks up his pace. Down the hall from Sherwood's office is the old lab space he shared with his friends. He briefly wonders if the gang still attends SFIT; they'd be 23 now and either working or going to grad school. He hopes they're still around.

And he's not disappointed.

Tadashi leans against the doorway with a fond smile as he watches the two. Gogo is machining something and Honey Lemon is pouring chemicals into one of the clean beakers at her work station. He strides into the room and calls out.

"Hey, Gogo! Honey!"

Their heads snap up. One look at their faces has him skidding to a halt.

"...Why are you guys looking at me like that? If it's the leaves and the dirt, I can explain. See–"

"Who the heck are you?"

Tadashi shoots them a funny look. "Uh, Tadashi Hamada? Is this a trick question? I mean, I know I've forgotten a lot of things, but..." He trails off at the blank looks on their faces.

"I don't know who put you up to this, but I don't care." Gogo squares her shoulders and crosses her arms over her chest; she fixes him with a pointed glare. "Leave while I'm still being nice."

Honey places her hands on Gogo's shoulders and squeezes lightly, murmuring something into her ear. Once Gogo relaxes in the other girl's hold, Honey directs her gaze to Tadashi with something akin to disgust in her usually warm brown eyes.

"You should go." Her voice is uncharacteristically cold, and it catches Tadashi completely off guard. He stares at her, slack-jawed and wide-eyed. This is Honey Lemon–the friendliest girl in the world–no, the universe. What happened?

"But–"

Gogo twitches. In the next second, faster than he can blink, she's up in his face with her lips pulled back in a sneer and her hands fisting the lapels of his jacket. Tadashi flinches. There's something almost feral in her eyes.

"Listen here, buddy," she growls, reeling him in. "What you're doing–it isn't funny, so you'd better stop before I rip you a new one!"

"Woah woah woah." He puts his hands up in a placating gesture and tries to pull away from Gogo's tight grip, but only succeeds in stretching his collar. Fear flares up in his chest. "Gogo, stop! It's me–Tadashi!"

Gogo snarls and slams him against the wall. His hands automatically wrap around her wrist. "I dare you to say that again!"

"Gogo–Gogo, wait!"

She pulls back her fist. "You people are sick!"

"Stop, I–IknowwhatHoneydidtoyoulastHalloween!"

Tadashi squeezes his eyes shut and grits his teeth for impact.

But the blow never comes.

Several heartbeats pass, but still, nothing. Slowly, hesitantly, Tadashi opens his eyes, which immediately cross at the sight of a white-knuckled fist hovering less than an inch from his nose.

"What?" Her voice is flat and her eyes still hold a dangerous glint, but at least she doesn't look like she's going to punch him into oblivion anymore–not yet, at least.

Tadashi lets out a shaky breath. "Last Halloween," he repeats, slowly lowering Gogo's fist from his face, "you got drunk and passed out on the couch. Honey, she–she stuffed you into a princess costume. The really pink one with the blond curls! Uh–Aurora! That's the one. She took pictures and everything! ...Please don't hurt me."

"Tadashi!" Honey Lemon gasps. Her hands fly to her chest as a look of betrayal (and horror) crosses her face. "That was supposed to be a secret!"

Gogo releases her hold on Tadashi's collar and slowly turns around to look at girl fidgeting behind her. "Honey?"

Honey jumps. "Oh, uh." In just a single moment, their roles have reversed; Honey is the prey and Tadashi the spectator. She titters but manages to keep her cool even in the face of an advancing, angry (read: potentially homicidal) Gogo–for about five seconds, anyway; she loses it when she backs up into a desk and Gogo just keeps getting closer! Her hands grope at the edge of the table, supporting her suddenly wobbly legs. "See, I, um–"

He snickers.

Her eyes lock on him.

Uh oh.

"Tadashi!" she squeaks. Her eyes practically scream, Do something!

He doesn't get the chance.

Riiiiing!

Gogo pauses.

Riiiiing!

She straightens up and glowers at them. "This. Isn't. Over."

The hairs on the back of his neck bristle. It's just a wisp of sound but it's enough to induce chills over his skin.

She snatches up her cellphone and barks into it. "What?"

"Gogo?" Hiro appears on the screen not a moment later, his face the very picture of distress. His lips are pulled into a sharp line, his brows furrowed in worry, and his eyes crinkling at the corners from strain. The image jostles constantly, up and down, up and down. "Is...Have you seen Tadashi?"

"Hiro..." There's an edge to Gogo's voice, just short of a growl, and Tadashi is immensely glad he's not on the receiving end of that. "What is going on?"

"So you have. Keep him there until I arrive."

"Uh uh. No way. You've got some explaining to do, mister."

"I'll explain later."

"Hiro!" Flushed cheeks, flared nostrils–yep, definitely don't want to be on the other side of that.

"Just trust me!...Please."

Gogo pinches the bridge of her nose and exhales noisily. "...Fine–but don't you dare leave anything out."

Hiro's expression turns grim. "Wouldn't dream of it."


A/N: Oh, Hiro, you've got a lot of explaining to do.

...Be honest. How OOC is Tadashi?