Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6. That honor belongs to Disney Animation Studios and Marvel Comics.
Author's Notes
I am so, so, so sorry for the wait. It has been crazy the past couple of months, what with a family vacation, work, original stories, and then two bouts of sickness. Writer's block also hit big time, when nothing I wrote looked even remotely decent.
Hopefully this update will make up for my prolonged absence. It is not quite as long as the previous two chapters, but it does have one of the reunions I have slowly been leading up towards.
Thank you so much for the reviews and favorites and follows so far, guys and gals. I am so happy to know my writing is being enjoyed.
OoOoOoO
IMMORTALS
Chapter Four
OoOoOoO
All was quiet inside the Lucky Cat Café. It was late in the evening and its doors had long since closed. The street outside the window was well lit but deserted. Traffic was slow. And without the usual sounds of one intrepid nephew—the all day tinkering, the shouting, the thumping up and down the stairs—the rest of the old Victorian was equally peaceful.
Far too peaceful, really. It almost grated on the nerves. But that is what happened when your little man went on a weeklong trip all the way across the country with his friends. You were left with a painfully silent household.
It hardly seemed fair.
"Well, that's that," said Cass, drying the last pan and setting it aside for tomorrow. She glanced down at her sole companion. She attempted a smile. "Guess it's just you and me tonight, Mochi."
The pudgy cat yawned, stretched, and promptly waddled away. He vanished into the darkened café. He did not so much as meow a goodbye.
Cass sighed. "Just me then."
Loneliness pricked at her heart, pressed down on her weary shoulders.
It was such a familiar feeling these days. College and the super-heroics she was not supposed to know about took up most of Hiro's time. He was hardly ever at home. And if he was, he hibernated in his room, snoring and drooling away, exhausted after making another late night robotic breakthrough or having stopped the third bank robbery that week.
Cass understood. She really did. Her baby boy was growing up, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. She wouldn't dream of doing such a thing, anyway, not when he seemed so happy, so certain of his future.
Even so, it was gut wrenchingly tough, watching Hiro spread his wings and fly further and further away.
Away from home.
Away from her.
Man alive. She rubbed at her wet eyes. If this was just a taste of Empty Nest Syndrome, Cass was dreading the full blown illness.
This called for a horror flick! With extra buttery popcorn, oh yummmm, and a fizzy glass of Coke, with maybe a dash of chocolate cake…. Junk food and the ravenous undead were always good for what ailed you, whether it was the common cold or the bluest of blues. It was a sure-fire cure.
Well, for two or three hours, at least. But she would take what she could get.
Cass had barely opened a bag of popcorn when the doorbell rang. The suddenness of the noise made her nearly jump out of her skin. She might have even shouted a naughty word or two. She was not sure, but she was quite certain she was not imagining the legion of popcorn kernels strewn haphazardly across the floor.
Darn it all. And she had just finished cleaning, too!
DING-DONG! the bell clamored again, not in the least bit apologetic. DING-DONG!
Heart still hammering at her ribs, face flushed, Cass stomped to the front door and flung it open.
"I'm sorry, but I don't want any," she snapped, "and, anyway, we're not open, so you… Oh…" she trailed off, almost mumbling, when she saw her visitors. "Oh."
One was an older man, hair graying and badly mussed. He was dressed in a tan shirt and slacks, a wide-brimmed hat on his head. His companion was much younger, but he bore the uniform and badge of the San Fransokyo Police Department.
What on earth…?
"Um, y-yes?" said Cass. "Can I, can I help you?"
The policeman smiled apologetically at her. "Sorry to bother you so late at night, ma'am," he said. "But we need you and your nephew to come with us."
"W-What?" Her stomach flipped upside down and twisted inside out. "But Hiro's not… He's not home right now. He's in New York for a tech expo, and… Well, it's just me and Mochi tonight, and…" Cass huffed. Shaking the cobwebs from her frazzled brain, she said in a far firmer tone, "I'm sorry, officer, but just what is this about?"
He and his friend shared a strange sort of look.
"Er, um, see, it's…" said the young man. He chuckled nervously and scratched his cheek. "If we told you, you probably wouldn't come with us."
At this unexpected answer that was not really an answer at all, Cass could only stare at him. "Excuse me?" she said.
"Why don't you let me take over, Lewis?" said the older man. "You're just confusing her." He removed his hat and flashed a whiskery but kind grin. "I don't know if you remember me, Ms. Rudolph, but my name's Wes Parker. I'm with the Forest Service. And a few years back, well, I helped get your nephew out of a sticky situation."
Her eyes widened. "You're the one who got Tadashi out of that ravine," said Cass. She nodded. "Yeah, I remember."
Oh, yes, she remembered. How could she possibly forget? It had been one of the most frightening moments in her life.
In her mind's eye, Cass could still see her oldest nephew lying motionless, crumpled like a rag doll, at the bottom of that godforsaken pit. Bruised, bleeding, one arm bent unnaturally underneath him. Hiro had been inconsolable, screaming again and again for his nii-chan, and she had sobbed, too, when a ranger braved the descent and brought her baby back to her—battered and confused and miserable, but alive, so very much alive.
How often, these past two years, had she wished someone like this ranger had been there the night of the fire? That Tadashi had been saved, now as then? That he was still with them, not just in memory but in reality…
It was a foolish dream. Cass knew this. She understood. It only upset her, and did far more harm than good in the long run. But she still dared to cling to this most hopeless of hopes, the impossible and improbable. It visited her many a night, even months after the tragedy, haunting her with visions of what if and if only.
Lord, she missed him so much.
She missed them all.
Cass swallowed and offered Ranger Parker what she hoped passed for a welcoming smile. "It's good to see you again, Mr. Parker," she said. "It's been a while."
"Sure has, Ms. Rudolph," said the ranger, nodding. He spun his hat round and round in his hands. "Should've come sooner, I reckon, but now's as good a time as any. Honestly speaking, it's better than most."
Once again, confusion—and more than a touch of growing concern—swept through her. "I'm afraid I don't understand."
"It's just like Lewis said, Ms. Rudolph. You probably wouldn't believe us if we told you. It's… pretty complicated."
She lifted a brow. "Try me."
Again, the men shared a strange glance. A weighty sort of uncertainty hovered in the foggy air. It coated the sudden silence, made it even more miserable and suffocating. Goosebumps prickled her arms, another bad sign.
Ranger Parker finally sighed and looked at her. His eyes were dark and sad and yearning, almost hopeful. "It's about your nephew, Ms. Rudolph."
Cass swore she felt all the color leave her face. "H-Hiro?" she whispered, clutching the doorframe. The floor trembled beneath her, threatened to give out entirely. "Oh no, is he, he's not, he hasn't—!"
"No, no, not the little fellow," said Ranger Parker hurriedly. "Don't worry. This isn't about him." Round, round, and around went the wide-brimmed hat. "This is, well, this is about Tadashi."
Tadashi?
"There must be some sort of mistake," said Cass slowly. "Tadashi…" She paused, and steeled herself to say the terrible truth aloud. "I'm sorry, Mr. Parker, but Tadashi is dead. He died nearly two years ago."
"Yeah… Um, see," said the ranger, "that's the complicated part."
Cass frowned, not for the first time feeling rather bewildered. "What's so complicated about it?" she said. "It's the truth."
"Not anymore," blurted out Officer Lewis.
For a moment, all Cass could do was gawk wordlessly at him. When she finally found her voice, it was strained, choked with a whirlwind of boiling emotions.
"What," she said.
It was not a question. It was a demand for explanation—right now.
"Sorry about that. Lewis here could've put it more gently," said the ranger. "Should've, in fact," he put in, gracing the younger man with a sour gaze. The policeman flushed, abashed, and stared at his boots. "But, well, he's still right on the money, Ms. Rudolph."
"I don't see how," said Cass as evenly as she could. "Because unless I missed something, he practically said Tadashi is not dead."
And that was impossible.
"Yup, he sure did," said Ranger Parker.
Cass immediately noticed he did bother to contradict or correct his companion. Her gut twisted. "What, what are you…?"
The ranger sighed and dug into a shirt pocket, pulling out what appeared to be a picture. "Like we said, it's complicated." He handed her the photograph. "You need to take a look at that. It's a kid I found lost in the park a few days ago."
She almost did not want to. But curiosity won the day in the end, and Cass peered at the picture.
What she saw nearly made her heart stop.
It was a photograph of a boy, who looked to be about twelve, maybe thirteen, years old. He was sleeping in what could only be a hospital bed. He was hooked up to an IV, a heart monitor, and a breathing apparatus, the equipment making him seem positively small and vulnerable. His dark hair was plastered to his forehead, and save for his burnt red cheeks—one of which sported a small bandage—he was as pale as a sheet.
She recognized him right away.
"This is…" began Cass. She lost her voice, swallowed, and shook her head. "No, no, it can't be," she whispered. "It's not… It's not him."
"Yes, it is, Ms. Rudolph," said Ranger Parker. "That's your nephew alright."
"No! No! It's not him!" She shoved the photograph back into his hands. "That is not Tadashi! It's not possible!"
Officer Lewis stepped forward, his brow furrowed and eyes sad. "But, ma'am, please, it really is—"
Cass stopped him with a glare as hot as scalding iron. "No. You've made a mistake," she said. She trembled all over, and she practically spat each and every word. "There is no way on God's green earth that that boy is my nephew. Tadashi… He's dead. He's gone. And even if he were alive, it wouldn't be him. The kid is far too young to be Tadashi. I don't know who he is or what he's told you, but he's not my Tadashi."
Even over the heat lacing through her veins, Cass noted the look of heartache and disappointment flash across the ranger's grizzled face. It surprised her, though it did little to cool her rising temper. He sighed and glanced at the photograph. Like he was trying to comfort the person within the captured moment, he gently ran a thumb over it.
"I know this sounds crazy, Ms. Rudolph," he said slowly, gently.
"You think?" she snapped, fist closing around the door knob.
Ranger Parker did not flinch, only gazed at her.
"But crazy or not," he said, in that same soothing voice, "it's the truth. I swear, this ain't some nasty trick. We'd never pull something like that on you, Ms. Rudolph." He turned the picture over so that she could see the boy again. "This really is your nephew. The tests prove it."
The floor wobbled and shook beneath her feet once more.
"What?" she said, hand loosening on the door she had nearly slammed in their faces. "Tests? What tests?"
"The usual kind, Ms. Rudolph. Fingerprints, DNA, blood type, you name it. Friend of mine ran 'em. And the kid's a perfect match for Tadashi Hamada."
Cass shivered, the hairs on the back of her neck tingling. Slowly, hesitantly, she reached out for the photograph. Held it in trembling fingertips, stared at the little boy's familiar face long and hard. Her heart pounded away inside her tight, tight throat.
It was him.
It was him.
And yet…
"But that's…" Her eyes welled. "It, it can't be. It's not possible…"
"Maybe, maybe not," said Ranger Parker. "Or maybe it's a miracle from God. Who can say? World's funny sometimes. All I know is your nephew's alive, he's at the hospital right now, and he wants to see you awful bad."
The words tugged at her frayed heartstrings. "He asked for me?" she whispered.
Both men nodded.
"So won't you come with us, ma'am?" said Officer Lewis. He spared a tiny smile. "Please?"
"That's why we're here, after all," said the ranger. "To take you to see him."
Cass drew in an unsteady breath as she gazed at their earnest, hopeful faces. Then she glanced back down at the picture. This little boy, who looked so much like her lost nephew, mirrored him from his face to (apparently) even the smallest iota of a cell, had asked for her.
He had asked for her.
Her.
Could… Could it really be?
Could her most foolish of dreams, that hopeless hope, the impossible, the improbable, have come true?
Thinking about it rationally, it was very unlikely.
She might only be setting herself up for soul-ripping despair once more.
And yet… And yet…
If there was even the smallest chance…
Cass drew in a breath and nodded. "Yes. Yes, I will go with you."
"Thank you," said Ranger Parker. He was flashing another whiskery grin, only it seemed grander than the last. "You won't regret it, Ms. Rudolph."
Officer Lewis nodded emphatically. "The kid's gonna be so happy to see you!"
She wondered.
"Just give me a few minutes to grab a few things and lock up," she said. "I won't be long."
The men nodded and agreed to wait on the stoop. In a near daze, Cass stumbled back into the house. Mochi, curled up on the kitchen counter, lifted his fluffy head.
"Meow?" he said.
"Yeah. Um. I'm going out for a little while, Mochi," she said. She tugged on her jacket, slipped on a pair of shoes that did not match. "A policeman and a ranger came by. They're, well… They're taking me to see someone. Tadashi, apparently."
Mochi stood, tail twitching. "Meow?"
"Y-Yeah. Imagine that. We've been wrong for two years! He's not dead! They found him! Out in the woods! All alone! And he's, he's shrunk too, I suppose. Because he's small for some reason, Mochi, like twelve again, and none of this seems real, I know! It should be impossible, except in movies or books or bad soap operas, and I probably shouldn't go at all, because this is insane, but, but, but-!"
But.
If there was a chance…
And there was a chance!
Wasn't there?
Cass flung open a cabinet, grabbed a glazed donut, and shoved it in her mouth. "Ah hafta fin' out fer mahself, don' I? Don' I?"
The pudgy cat blinked at her. His eyes gleamed. He wobbled his way to the edge of the counter and jumped off, landing with a clumsy thud on the tiled floor. Moving swifter than his bulk suggested, he scampered up the nearby stairs.
Mochi returned with something in his mouth. He set it at her feet and bumped his head against her shin, purring up a storm. "Mrow," he said. "Mrow!"
Cass had owned and cuddled with the giant feline long enough to know exactly what he wanted. He wanted her to take his find with her.
And what a find it was: it was Tadashi's battered SFIT ball cap.
"But we don't know for sure it's him yet!" she said.
"Meow!"
"But-!"
"Mrow-ow!"
Cass sighed, rubbing at her aching forehead. Leave it to an ornery I-am-always-right-duh! cat not to listen to sense!
"And leave it to a cat lover to listen to him!" she huffed. She picked up the baseball cap. Dusting it off, thumb brushing the frayed brim, she held it close. She glowered at Mochi. "You know this might blow up in my face, don't you?"
He yawned right in her face.
"Right. Glad to see you are taking this so seriously." She crammed the last of the donut into her mouth. "Ah shuld leave it righ' here, ya know…"
But she wouldn't leave the cap, because…
Because…
Well, because however improbable, however impossible, however irrational this situation was…
There was still a chance!
"Hold down the fort, Mochi. I'll be back in a few."
"Meow."
OoOoOoO
Cass piled into the backseat of a rusty Forest Service jeep, and Ranger Parker drove her and Officer Lewis to the San Fransokyo's bay area. They swam through a haze of colored and flashing lights, crawling along an inch at a time in the more congested streets as they navigated the city's nightlife. Sleek buildings and dazzling advertisements and rattling railways towered above their heads. Even as they approached the Bay, this forest of steel and mortar hardly thinned.
She paid these sights and sounds no mind. Not only had she see them for a lifetime, she had other matters swamping her mind. She kept her eyes trained on the baseball cap in her hands. She desperately clung to it, her sole lifeline in this absolutely crazy mess she had flung herself headfirst into.
Please, oh please, oh please… she prayed, over and over again. Please let this be real…
Ranger Parker pulled into San Fransokyo Bay Hospital. They found a parking spot, and hustled through the Emergency Room entrance.
Wait.
The Emergency Room!
Cass's blood ran cold. She crumpled the baseball cap in her white-knuckled hands. "Oh, God, he's not, he's not—!"
"No, no. Don't worry, Ms. Rudolph," said Ranger Parker, smiling at her. "The kid's got a bad cold and he's banged up, but he's fine. This is just the fastest way to reach him."
Relief—she did not bother questioning it—made her knees wobble. "Oh. Oh, good. Thank goodness."
The trio wound their out of the chaos of the Emergency Room and walked down a few white-walled corridors. They then rode a swift-moving elevator up to the third floor. The bland white walls were replaced by colorful mosaics, polka-dots and crazy swirls, and silly cartoon characters. The lobby was just as cheerful, boasting a network of interlocking finger-painted masterpieces and squiggly stick-figure drawings.
Cass immediately recognized it as the Children's Ward of San Fransokyo Bay Hospital. Two years ago, she had been here with a concussed and terribly distraught Hiro.
And now…
Well, now she was here for another nephew.
A nephew who had apparently never been dead in the first place, had only missing, trapped in limbo for years, and was now much younger for some unknown reason, and absolutely none of this made sense, and where was an éclair when you needed one, and—!
"Hello. You must be Cassandra Rudolph."
"What?" said Cass, starting her out of her hysteria induced mental word-vomit. She whipped around, the ball cap pressed into her stomach. "I'm sorry, what?"
A frizzy-haired woman dressed in a lab coat had suddenly joined their party. "Sorry. I didn't mean to scare ya," she said. "My name's Dr. Samantha Evans."
"Doctor? So, so you're…
"Yup. I'm Tadashi's primary caregiver here at the hospital." She grinned, eyes twinkling. "Real sweetheart you've raised there, Ms. Rudolph."
Cass spared a shaky smile. "Oh. T-Thank you."
"I'm willing to bet you've got a boatload of questions. Don't blame ya. But I think those can wait. Let's go see your nephew, how 'bout it?"
Cass could only nod.
Dr. Evans led them down yet another hallway. It was just as multicolored as the lobby, but it was a sleepy sort of vibrancy. Most of the doors were shut. Those that were not were half-shut, shadows creeping in from dim rooms to nibble at the floor. Peaceful silence, save for the soft pitter-patter of mute nurses and the odd cry, clouded the clean-smelling air.
No wonder, reflected Cass. It was late. Most of the patients in the Children's Ward were probably asleep. And no doubt their parents were picking up a few much needed Z's on a pull-out sofa, or quietly standing guard over their poor sick babies.
Her stomach suddenly dropped.
Who had been watching out for her poor sick baby? The way Ranger Wes Parker had explained the situation, the little boy had already been in the hospital for a few days. Alone, scared, with no loving aunt to tuck him in at night, or give him Last Hugs and goodnight kisses whenever he was feeling upset or hurting…
Flames licked at her insides. They burned her up.
"Tell me something," she said crisply. "Why wasn't I called before now?"
Dr. Evans glanced at Cass. "Believe me, Ms. Rudolph," she said after a moment, "I'm sorry about that. I didn't like it, nobody did, but we had to run a few tests. You know. To prove Tadashi was who he claimed to be."
"We didn't want to bring you in if he wasn't the real deal," said Officer Lewis.
Ranger Parker, eyes dark, mouth a grim tight line, only grunted.
Cass also huffed. "I suppose that makes sense," she said, hugging the ball cap to her chest. "But he's only a little boy, and no child should have to be alone for days."
A small smile danced across the doctor's face. "I agree, Ms. Rudolph. And he hasn't, not really. Tadashi's had company."
"Who?" Cass demanded.
"Buddy, that's who."
Before Cass could ask just who this "Buddy" was, they stopped in front of a door. The numbers 3-2-2 hung near the frame, next to a tray cradling a clipboard and a stack of papers. The writing was as messy as Hiro's bedroom—true Doctor Script if ever there was—but she could still make out a single name.
Tadashi.
She frowned. "No Hamada?"
"Mm-mm. We're keeping that on the down low for now," said Dr. Evans. "The press would eat something like this alive. And that's not what our little man needs right now." She opened the door. "Ready, Ms. Rudolph?"
Here it was. The moment of truth. Now or never.
She swallowed.
It was almost funny. She had been building up her courage for this encounter from the second she had agreed to come. She had even gone all Mama Bear for the kid's sake, just a few seconds ago! But now, standing in front of his hospital room, she felt uncertain, off balance. It was like staring into the gaping maw of an endless precipice. Her toes tangled over the edge. One wrong move, and…
She hesitated, ironclad fear squeezing at her heart.
What if this was a mistake?
What if the tests were wrong?
What if she was setting herself up for yet another nasty fall?
What if this boy wasn't Tadashi?
Whatifwhatifwhatifwhatifwhatif…?
"Ms. Rudolph?" said Dr. Evans, peering worriedly at her.
"I just…" A shaky chuckle burst from her lips, and she swiped at the hair tickling her forehead. "I'm sorry, it's just…"
The doctor nodded. "I know. It's a lot to take in, huh?"
"Yeah, it is."
Cass stared at the worn out cap in her hands. She remembered buying it for Tadashi, forever and an age ago. It hadn't even really fit at first. It had kept slipping down into his face, eating up his ears, eyes, and most of his nose. But he had loved it anyway, and had worn it up until… until the night…
And now…
"There's a chance," she said. She smiled. "I'm ready."
Dr. Evans grinned. "Good!"
Ranger Parker and Officer Lewis hung back as they walked into the room. Not a single light was on. The blinds had also been drawn, to keep the ever-awake city from blasting its radiance inside. Cass could barely make out the shadowed forms of a heart monitor, a narrow bed, and—
"Good evening, Dr. Evans," said a personal healthcare companion. The robot stood at the bedside. A soft glow began to emanate from his chest.
"Hey there, Buddy," said the doctor.
Ah! So this was the mysterious Buddy.
"Ms. Rudolph, this is Buddy. Buddy, this is Ms. Cassandra Rudolph."
He gave her a friendly wave. "Hello, Ms. Rudolph," he said.
His voice was warm and gentle. She could not help but smile at him. "Hello," she said. "Nice to meet you, Buddy."
"Likewise. I am glad you are here. Tadashi will be very happy to see you." Buddy's head turned downward, and he gazed at the occupant of the bed. "He tried to wait up for you, but he was tired and fell asleep. Shall I wake him for you?"
"No, no, that's okay," she said. "Let him sleep."
Buddy nodded. "Of course." He stepped away and gestured at a seat next to the bed. "If you wish to sit down…"
Cass smiled again. "Thank you."
She approached the chair and sat down, cradling the ball cap in her lap. She lifted her eyes to stare at the boy.
Goodness… It was as if she had stepped nearly a decade back in time. The little fellow was the spitting image of twelve, thirteen year old Tadashi. Slim, lanky, brows a might too heavy for his face, all signs of a boy growing into the young man she thought she had buried. The photograph was as nothing compared to seeing—and hearing the familiar wheeze of tight lungs, her poor asthmatic baby—him for herself.
She could not stop herself. Cass reached out and stroked his hair, smoothed a thumb over his flushed cheeks.
He was warm to the touch. Too warm for her tastes. A fever, then, and she suddenly imagined him wandering around the forest in the ice cold rain, searching for his family, miserable and lost and confused…
"Oh, honey," she said.
Her voice must have breached his dreams. For as soon as she spoke, the boy mumbled a little and stirred. He slowly opened his eyes, warm and brown and sleepy, and woozily blinked at her.
"A-Aunt Cassie?" he whispered.
Cass's heart burst.
Only two people had ever called her 'Cassie.' Her sister, gone these many years, and the one nephew old enough to remember what his mother had called her.
But even this ghostly nickname paled in comparison to his eyes. She had only needed to gaze into them once to know.
This was no mistake.
This was no dream.
This was the impossible and improbable!
"Yes. It's me," she said, choking out words through tears. "It's me, Tadashi."
He lurched his way forward and she met him more than halfway, and just like that they were hugging. Tadashi pressed his face into her shoulder, while Cass held him close, close, closer to her. She half wondered if she was suffocating him, hugging him this tightly, but Tadashi did nothing to pull away or complain. He just clung to her, shaking, mumbling something unintelligible. She was little better. She sobbed, slurring her grateful prayers and the constant muttering of his name.
Tadashi, Tadashi, Tadashi! Thank God, oh Tadashi!
"Aunt Cass," he said. His voice was muffled. It reverberated through her shoulder and into her chest, a real and living sound. "Please don't cry, 'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you, 'm sorry, please don't cry…"
A watery chuckle escaped her. "It's okay, sweetheart," she said raspily. "It's okay. These are happy tears." She pulled away, but only so she could plant kisses on his forehead and cheeks. "Very, very happy tears…" She looked at him—at those big brown eyes—and choked again. "Oh, honey, you're so, you're so beautiful!"
Had she ever said such a thing to Hiro, he would have gone red in the face, embarrassed, and immediately complained. "Jeez, Aunt Cass!" he no doubt would have grumbled. "You're not supposed to call guys beautiful!"
Tadashi only blushed and smiled shyly. "Aunt Cass…" he mumbled.
"Well, it's true!" she said. She gently wiped at his wet cheeks. "You're one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen!"
She then proceeded to kiss him a few more times. There was more than one Last Hug mixed in there, too, and they held hands even after the multiple displays of affection. Tadashi was more than a touch clingy.
Well, so was she. She did not want to ever let him go, never again!
"Oh, I almost forgot!" said Cass, grinning like a fool. She held up the baseball cap. "Master Mochi sends his regards."
Tadashi's eyes warmed. "Good old Mochi…" He grabbed the cap and scrunched the brim a bit. "I really needed this." Without wasting another moment, he set it on his mussed bed head.
And it immediately swallowed up half his face.
OoOoOoO
Author's Notes
It certainly took me long enough to get this out. And I have no idea how much you may or may not have enjoyed it, since it mostly deals with Aunt Cass dealing with a crazy situation before being rewarded.
I know some sources have Cass's last name as Hamada, same as the boys. But this is nowhere in the credits of the film itself. She's just listed as 'Cass.' And like other writers, I took it she was Tadashi and Hiro's mother's sister. I decided to keep with that fanon, and gave her the same last name as her VA.
I also know that at the end of the movie, Hiro took Tadashi's baseball cap to the Nerd Lab. So… let's just assume he brought it home to be washed, or something.
Yeah… That makes sense, right?
I am also glad Buddy was such a big hit. Which is a good thing, because this is not the last you will see of him.
And, yes, Mochi is highly intelligent. But if fictional dogs get to be super smart, why not cats? Cats are awesome!
Anyway, thank you so much for reading. I will try not to take as long with Chapter Five.
Next time on Immortals: Cass runs into Dr. John Farraday, and Tadashi finally gets to go home.
