Chapter 10: Fallen Angels

Tadashi could not move his eyes away from the unconscious figure. Lying in the rubble was his brother, Hiro. Tadashi could recognize that hair style and sleeping face anywhere. But was this really him? Whatever baby fat was left on Hiro's face was now gone, leaving a malnourished, but grownup look. His dark brown locks were longer, especially his bangs, some strands reaching his mouth as he lay on his side and some more dishevelled. The shorter locks clung to his face. The ones that were closer to the ground touched the rubble, longer strands laying on it thanks to gravity. His body was taller, around Gogo's height. It was not a big difference, but it was still enough that it felt strange.

This Hiro didn't quite look like the Hiro he knew. This one was…older, taller, closer to their age than fourteen. It made absolutely no sense. Hiro was much younger a few weeks ago. He could not have grown that big in such a short amount of time.

Tadashi shook his head and turned back at Hiro with a strained look. No, this wasn't right. Hiro had died in the fire. Tadashi had gone to his funeral. So what the hell was going on? Everyone else seemed to be having the same thoughts, looking to each other in the hopes someone had an explanation. Once Baymax reached Hiro, he moved the patient onto his back, those soft strands moving to the adjustment, and tried to remove the armour, lifting a plate and trying to make it budge. It didn't work, making him back off after a moment. He looked over the injured hero, tilting his head as he tried to figure out how to treat his patient if he can't gain access to the wound.

"Baymax, explanation." Gogo demanded, stepping forward. Baymax blinked at her. He stood up and opened Hiro's file, showing the group his analysis on his stomach. Two body pictures emerged, one small, the other large. Signs began to pop up as Baymax enlightened the group.

"Hiro Hamada. Last checkup was: 3 weeks ago. Changes since last scan include: increased height from 138 centimeters to 162 centimeters. Estimated weight was 90 pounds and is now 97 pounds. There is an abnormality in the brain, but he is at the end of puberty, resulting in hair growing in his face, chest, armpits, and-"

"Whoa! Too much information, buddy! Just skip to the diagnosis!" Wasabi cried, holding his hands out as a signal for him to stop. Baymax blinked at him before bringing up a finger.

"Diagnosis: malnourishment and traveled through time; 5 years, by my estimations." There was a pause before everyone shouted.

"How did you come to that assumption?!"

"It is the only conclusion I can come up with for the unnatural growth as there are no abnormal substances in his body."

"Y-You're kidding!" Gogo ran a hand through her hair. This was too unbelievable.

"I am a robot. I cannot 'kid.'"

Wasabi looked like he was about to go into hysterics. "S-S-So you're saying, this really is Hiro five years in the future?!"

"Yes."

"But how can that be?! Hiro is-" Fred caught himself before saying the word. "…not around anymore, so how can an older version of him travel back in time?!"

"I do not have the information to give a clear answer. This is only an assumption created to suit the evidence."

"What's going on…?" Honey Lemon muttered, confused and worried, her eyes downcast.

Tadashi couldn't believe what he was hearing. His mind seemed to go completely blank at what Baymax was saying. Tadashi took a hesitant step forward, then another, and another, until finally, he was in front of his little brother. Being so close to him and overwhelmed, he collapsed before the unconscious figure. His hands shook as they reached out to cup his brother's face. He let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding, trying to hold back his tears of happiness. This was real. Leaning forward, he put his forehead against the other's before burying his face into those untameable, soft locks. Tadashi knew this scent, this skin, this warmth; he had missed it so much. This was his Hiro.

Tadashi let out another shaky breath. Happiness enveloped his soul. His brother, through some miracle, had returned to him. He didn't care if Hiro was older. No matter what, throughout time and space, Hiro would always be his litter brother.

The moment of relief was ruined when Baymax interrupted.

"Tadashi, though his armour protected him, Hiro has 5 bruised ribs. I recommend we-"

The inventor froze and his eyes widened, unable to hear anything else the robot said. Hiro was…hurt. And it was because of him, because of his rage. He had hurt Hiro through Baymax, a robot he had designed to heal people. Tadashi turned to the marshmallow robot. Baymax held his gaze down at Hiro as if in guilt, trying to find a way to get the armour off as the camera never left the location of the wound. Tadashi looked back at his brother as Gogo, Honey Lemon stood aside, trying to get a good look at Hiro, wanting to make sure he was okay, as Fred and Wasabi were hovering over him, asking Tadashi for permission to move him. They couldn't get an answer out of him because, in that moment, Tadashi realized what he had done.

In his rage, he had tried to kill someone, and in doing so, had hurt all the people around him, the people he was close to and who knew him better than anyone. He wouldn't listen to any of them when he was going to do something he would regret. Tadashi started to feel disgusted with himself, at his selfishness. He had always done his best to focus on the wellbeing of others, but suddenly, those horrible negative emotions beat his morals down and he snapped. He felt like he would never be able to do anything without that moment of hatred haunting him. He brought Hiro's head closer to himself in an unconscious attempt to comfort himself. It almost worked, but Tadashi could not stop hating himself.

"I'm sorry…" he whispered to everyone absentmindedly, petting Hiro's locks. The group looked at each other sorrowfully before turning to Hiro, having an idea of what the older brother was feeling right now.

"…It's okay." Honey Lemon said, trying to be comforting.

Tadashi didn't hear her.

He was already lost in his thoughts, closed off from the outside world as he fell into a trance.

Everyone was sitting quietly in the helicopter. Tadashi hadn't said a word since his apology. When they had decided to go back to Fred's mansion, Tadashi merely followed, always keeping blank eyes on the unconscious boy in his arms. Honey Lemon held Hiro's chemistry pouch close to her chest as Wasabi held onto the sleeping boy's helmet. Even when Fred tried to lighten the mood by making silly comments, the blazer wearer would not answer.

Once they had reached the helicopter, Heathcliff was there to greet them. The butler's eyes widened at the boy in Tadashi's arms. He looked to his young master before turning back to Hiro, the gears of thought clearly spinning in his head. He, too, chose to say or ask nothing, moving to let the group into the helicopter. Everyone got into their previous seats, Hiro resting on Baymax and Tadashi, an arm on his stomach and another hanging limply over Tadashi's knees. Heathcliff got inside as well. He had turned to Fred and the others, examining their facial expressions before starting the helicopter.

The group was still processing everything they had learned. When the helicopter began to lift off, most of them looked out the window, getting one last look at Akuma Island through the darkness of night, the place that would forever be a memory of revelations that changed everything. The battle there was over and now they were heading home to tend to their wounds, physical and psychological. They were all worried about Tadashi. What was he thinking? What emotions could be running around his head? Was he going to be okay? They sensed he was feeling guilty, but none of them knew how to heal him. Usually Gogo had something, but today, she too was oddly silent.

Wasabi began to fidget, fiddling with the helmet in his hands. The silence and the fact that they were flying was making him restless. He wanted to break this suffocating mood, or at least find a good distraction. His brows narrowed, trying to think of something to say, maybe even a comforting topic. Looking around, changing his seating position every three seconds, the bandana wearer tried to find something to say. Nothing on the helicopter was giving him any inspiration, so he looked at everyone else. Honey Lemon was staring at the pouch, her hands tracing over the buttons gently. Gogo was looking out the window, clearly lost in her thoughts as deeply as Tadashi was, though sometimes she would glance at Hiro before turning back to the sky. Fred kept turning his head to them from the passenger seat next to the pilot. Like Wasabi, the brunet looked like he wanted to say something, but nothing seemed like good conversation starters.

Wasabi's dark chocolate fingers traced over the helmet before turning to the remaining three. Tadashi's eyes were blank, no emotion in his eyes. It was worrying. They were usually so bright. It was like he was hypnotized, entranced by his own desire to avoid the harshness of reality by rejecting to interact with it and remove any feelings that might make his heart shatter. It was like when Hiro "died." There was just no reaching him. Grief took Wasabi, feeling helpless. He wanted to help Tadashi, but what could you say in this situation. Clearly there would be no good inspiration by looking at him. Movement caught the bandana wearer's eye. Baymax was still trying to figure out how to remove Hiro's armour, poking it with his finger. Wasabi's shoulders sagged. If it weren't for the fact that this was Baymax, he would have thought those lame attempts were rather half-hearted.

That was when something caught his eye. There seemed to be an armour lid on Hiro's right arm. It was different from the left arm, no symmetry at all. That made Wasabi's eye twitch a little in irritation, but it also made him curious. He wanted to open it and see the reason why this choice of anarchy was made, even if a bone in his body was saying possible danger. Giving in, he leaned forward, catching everyone's attention. Pressing and letting go, the lid opened, revealing some colourful buttons, a mini keyboard and a screen. The green, yellow, and indigo buttons caught his gaze. His mind immediately started associating the colours with instinctual knowledge. Green, laser. Yellow, maglev. Indigo, Hiro. That last one sounded interesting to press. As he leaned forward again, Tadashi's eyes snapped out of the trance at the idea that Wasabi's action might hurt Hiro if one of those buttons were pressed.

"W-Wait! Don't-!"

It was too late. Wasabi had pressed the indigo button. The click caught everyone's attention.

Their eyes widened at what happened next, gasping.

Immediately upon activation, indigo and black started to move. As Fred got out of his seat to get a better view, the dark blue armour plating was beginning to flip and twist as they moved to Hiro's chest, forming a comfortable looking cobalt sweater. The heltmet in Wasabi's hands seem to melt itself to join the frenzy. Black began to merge together on five different parts of Hiro's body. They clung to his wrists and ankles like shackles, two yellow gems gleaming on his ankles while two similar green gems rested on the wrists. Some of the black plating ran to Honey Lemon, making her back up in her seat and squeak. They went up to the black pouch in her arms and covered the orange periodic table, making the honey blonde blink at it. Whatever black was left started gathering at Hiro's neck, forming a black collar with a blue gem. The scene was like magic.

'Hiro magic.' Tadashi's mind supplied dumbly.

"Whoa. Awesome!" Fred said in awe at the transformation.

Tadashi's head started to flick side to side, taking in Hiro's new form. With the suit gone, casual clothes were revealed to the world. The younger brother had a red shirt under that indigo sweater with a rusty brown-red pattern on it. Beige capris covered most of Hiro's legs. Both of them were ripped in some places, one of them even had a poor attempt of a patch job. Tadashi could swear Hiro hadn't changed his clothes, much less style and wardrobe, for a long time. It was so much so that the fabric was falling apart. The only thing that really changed was Hiro's shoes, which were black and white.

Finding access now available, Baymax moved Hiro's shirt up, the fabric ripping at the stretch. Tadashi flinched at the somewhat visible ribs. There was a rather ugly spot of purple beginning to form. He turned away, unable to look at it anymore. Baymax's hand began to glow blue, radiating a cool temperature. He put his hand on the bruised area, careful to not put pressure on the wounded ribs yet close enough to cool down inflammation. He made a metal note to give Hiro aspirin later. The boy would need it to deal with the pain. As this was going on, Gogo got up from her spot and went for the black bracelet on Hiro's dangling wrist. She lifted it up to inspect it.

"Incredible. How did he get it to compact together like that?" Moving the arm around, she inspected different angles of the device. Finally, Gogo stopped to look at the green gem. Her finger traced it before looking over the black again. But in doing so, she put pressure on the gem with her finger. It clicked and the bracelet slipped from her hands, falling to the floor. "…Oops."

"Cool! They come off!" exclaimed Fred, a little jumpy in his seat. He leaned forward and pressed on the other bracelet's gem. The same thing happened and he took it unlocked cuff. "These things are awesome!"

Wasabi and Honey Lemon looked at each other before letting the want to try it too take over. They leaned for Hiro's ankles, removing the anklets. They looked at them in curiosity, wondering how they work. Tadashi blinked at his friends. He then noticed there was one piece left, the collar. He didn't like it there. To Tadashi, it represented a burden that Hiro never deserved. Slowly, he reached for it, gently pressing the indigo gem. With a click, it unlocked, allowing him to take it. Rather than inspect it like everyone else, he put it between him and Baymax.

That was when his eyes caught sight of the memory stick hanging on Hiro's neck. It had been camouflaged with the color of the suit and blended with the black accessories, but now, it stood out against the red shirt. His eyes narrowed. Without much thought, he reached over and took it, maneuvering the strap around Hiro's head.

"Why does Hiro have a memory stick?"

The others looked at him. Their faces changed as they tried to come up with answers.

"Oh! Oh! Maybe it has a bunch of super important secrets and Hiro doesn't want them to fall into the wrong hands!" Fred exclaimed.

"Maybe it has all the blueprints for his gear." Gogo added, smirking to herself with a gleam in her eyes. Wasabi crossed his arms over his chest and nodded, agreeing with the woman beside him.

"Maybe it can tell us the reason why he traveled through time."

"It could hold all sorts of answers…How about we check it out?" Honey Lemon suggested, smiling. She was happy that they were communicating again. The others chorused in agreement. They really wanted to know what was on it.

Tadashi looked back at the device, considering the honey blonde's words. So many possibilities, so many questions. If this thing could answer any of them, he couldn't deny that he wanted to check it out.

Upon reaching the mansion, Heathcliff proceeded to land the helicopter. As the group in the back let themselves out, the butler went around and opened the door for his young master. Once out of the helicopter, Fred led his friends to the mansion while Heathcliff locked the machine and moved on to other duties, as well as his own thoughts.

The group went through many corridors until they eventually found themselves in a bedroom filled with comic books, posters, and action figures. What made this place different from the entertainment room were the large bed and the computer next to it. Tadashi brought Hiro to the bed, tucking him under the covers and placing the gear on the bedside table. He remained sitting on the bed as the others quickly turned on the computer.

Fred practically bounced in his chair as the computer started up. Honey Lemon giggled excitedly as she put the memory stick into the machine. It was at that overexcitement that made Wasabi start to question their actions. Wasabi looked to his friends with a raised brow.

"Whatever happened to snooping is wrong?" Gogo rolled her eyes.

"If he didn't want us to snoop, he shouldn't have left us out of the loop like that!"

Fred made a frenzy of clicks until he opened up the memory stick as Tadashi stood up and moved so he could see the screen. Various labels appeared: 2150, 2151, 2152, etc.

"Are those dates?" Honey Lemon asked. Taking over the mouse, she clicked on the folder named 2150. Multiple saved blueprints emerged; Gogo, Honey Lemon, Wasabi, Fred, Baymax, The Amazing Me. Everyone sweat dropped at that last one. But what stood out amongst them was a footage clip labeled: Baymax's Memories. That really got their attention. Why were Baymax's memories on the USB? The group turned to Baymax, who blinked slowly before turning his attention back to his patient.

As the group looked at each other, Fred looked back at the computer with serious eyes, took the mouse, and pressed to open it.

Happy Halloween, everyone!