Hiro was soon released from the hospital with a medical note to take it easy for awhile... which meant not going out with the team when a crisis hit… which bugged him. And that's what was going on today.
"Hiro… I know you want to be out there but it is for the sake of your health you stay here at school." Baymax said, trying to help the boy with his work.
"I know…" Hiro sighed as he grabbed a wrench getting to work on tightening joints on the robot he was working on. "But doesn't make it any easier. I hate sitting still… It never leads to anything…"
Baymax patted his head.
"I know… but we can not risk you getting more smoke inhalation."
Hiro frowned giving a nod. "Yeah… And I don't want another trip to the hospital…"
Baymax nodded.
"Is there anyone else you can talk to? I am certain there are other classmates here… I think…" Baymax looked towards the door. "It has been rather quiet today…"
"Yeah… I know everyone's still working hard to re-build what was lost in the fire." Hiro went to the door peering out. "Lessee… Not a lot of people… Least that jerk Ikeda isn't here today… Not in the mood to being called a Furball."
Baymax looked with him, optics narrowing a little as he scanned, them going wide as he recognized someone.
"Takashi?"
"Hm?" Hiro followed his gaze seeing the young man wandering around. "Oh! He must be here about his exams."
"Ah, right. Wonder how he is progressing with those."
"Well… Let's find out." Hiro opened the door wider. "Can't hide in here all day. 'Sides… I want at least one other witness in case Kokoro decides to hang me." He smirked a bit before heading over.
Baymax waddled after him, waving to Takashi.
"Hello, Takashi."
The young man looked up, smiling as he saw them approach.
"Hey, nice to see you out of the hospital."
Hiro chuckled. "Couldn't keep me forever. They would've had to duct tape the door shut then… How've you been?"
"Been well… Just waiting to hear back from Professor Wylie about my exams. He said I could hang around here till he got the results." Takashi sighed a bit. "Big day…"
Hiro gave him a sympathetic look. "I know the feeling man. It was nerve wracking when I was waiting to hear on if I got in or not."
"Well… hoping for the best." Takashi smiled. "Oh, almost forgot!" He slipped off his backpack, bringing out a bag of cookies. "Mom sent these with me, told me to share."
Hiro's eyes lit up as he grinned. "Well, lucky for you… I happen to be a lover of the sweet kind."
"Hiro do not eat too much. You do not want a stomach ache."
"I know Baymax!"
Takashi chuckled, handing a few to Hiro.
"Little chocolate should be fine. Besides, I can't eat all of them myself."
"So true. Thanks." Hiro smiled taking a bite. "...Dang! This is good!"
"That's the wonder that is my mother's cooking." Takashi said, through bites of his own. "Beats out the stereotype of being a doctor and terrible cook."
Hiro snickered. "Didn't know that was a stereotype. She work with some disaster chefs?"
"San Ramon Regional has a few people who can't really cook and are living off top ramen… And Mom has mentioned a few in passing during her business trips… Hm…" Takashi hummed in thought. "I think I remember her mentioning one during her Malibu trip… Heh… Good times… Then again she was just more focused on her work…"
"She travels a lot huh?" Hiro tilted his head. "Didn't think a hospital in that town had doctors that well known - No offense, I just never go down there often."
"It's fine, we're a small community unlike San Fransokyo. My mom's a different case since she hasn't always worked there… On top of that, she's got a record of people oweing her favors for helping them out. So, she needs something, she contacts them."
"Got it." Hiro nodded. "Lot of connections… I can respect that."
"Yep… Just how she works. But for the most part…" Takashi folded his arms behind his head. "Not a lot happens in San Ramon… well save water problems and of course as of late fires."
Hiro leaned against a wall. "Yeah heard you guys got your own superhero taking care of that." He smirked. "Pretty sweet deal."
"I suppose. The firefighters work hard too." Takashi sighed a bit. "It's getting under control now but it is pretty rough on some people. A friend of mine has a real issue with some of the smoke that flows into town. He's semi asthmatic so… you get the picture."
Hiro grimaced. "Yeah I do… I'm sorry about that… Glad it's getting under control though."
"Yeah… It'll be a huge relief once it's all over…. Then again just putting out the fires won't cover it." Takashi narrowed his eyes. "The arsonists have just been a huge pain lately. I don't get what their deal is."
"They're sickos. That's their deal." Hiro growled a bit. "They don't care about anyone, or anything but themselves… Even if they THINK they're doing the right thing, they don't care who they hurt…"
"I suppose… just everything has a motive and so far all people can really talk about is they cause fires and what they look like. They never leave messages or say anything. It's just one big enigma."
"It's insane…" Hiro looked down. "I just… Wish I knew the reason… I don't want another fire like…" He cut himself off shaking his head. He doesn't know me that well… Can't spill it… He knows my brother died in a fire but he doesn't know he was murdered…
Takashi placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I get it… Don't need to say anything if it hurts too much… I've had my rough go too with fires."
"And I'm sorry you had to go through that…" Hiro sighed. "... Tadashi was murdered… The fire that killed him was intentional…" Just won't say who did…
"I see…" Takashi squeezed his shoulder.
"Yeah…. Sorry…" Hiro looked up giving him an apologetic look. "I guess all of this stuff has been dredging it right back up… I don't want to have a setback but it's like it's haunting me…"
"Well… fire does that…" Takashi pulled back, rolling up one of his sleeves, showing the scars on his forearm. "Marks you. Be it physical or emotional."
Hiro looked at the marks before his gaze traveled up to Takashi's face, to the mark on his cheek. "... It's a different kind of hurt… Either way."
"It's something you wish others could understand, right?"
"Yeah.. I'm glad my friends are there for me, I am… But somedays I just wonder y'know? I still think "What if I had held on just tighter?" "What if I had tackled him to keep him from running?" "What if I had never tried to apply at all?" He shook his head. "The last one, I know Tadashi would smack me for from the afterlife since he wanted me to do something with my mind… Just hurts still… I miss him…"
I miss you too…
Takashi cringed to himself, but kept it hidden.
No… I'll just hurt him…
"Mr. Sky?"
Both looked to see Professor Wylie present.
"Oh… Um… I hope I wasn't interrupting something."
"N-No." Hiro shook his head quickly. "Just shooting the breeze."
"But Hiro you did not have a gun-"
"Expression buddy."
"What's up?" Takashi asked.
"Well…" Professor Wylie smiled, presenting an envelope to him. "I look forward to seeing you next week in class."
Takashi took it, his eyes wide.
"I…?"
Professor Wylie nodded.
"Congratulations. You've been accepted for your high performance and show for potential. We're happy to have you with us."
Takashi smiled, shaking his hand.
"T-Thank you…"
"You're welcome… I'll see you next week."
He gave a wave before walking off.
Soon as he was gone, Takashi couldn't help but cheer a bit.
"YES!"
Hiro laughed. "Congrats Takashi!"
Baymax nodded. "Indeed, congratulations on enrollment."
Hiro smirked holding out a fist. "C'mon."
Takashi had a gleeful look in his eyes as he did the whole sequence. Slapping the back of his hand with Hiro's, then the palm before fist bumping him.
"Fwoosh!"
"Fwoosh!" Hiro laughed a grin on his face. "Nice!"
"Not bad yourself!"
"Thanks." He chuckled. "Looks like we're classmates after all."
"Heh… guess we are…" Takashi sighed happily. "I'm really gonna be a student here…"
I get to come home… even if it's just for a little while…
"Now…. As part of the Nerd Lab… I'm afraid…" Hiro gave a serious look. "I must tell you something…"
"Hm?"
"... Welcome to the Dark Side. Oh and you'll have to bring more of these cookies TO said Dark Side."
"... Sure thing." Takashi smirked. "Nerd."
Hiro smirked back. "Said the pot to the kettle."
"... Alright you asked for it." Takashi nearly tackled the boy over as he got him in a headlock, messing up his hair. "RAH!"
"ACK!" Hiro yelped, laughing as he tried to guard his head. "NOOOO!"
"SO MESSY!" Takashi laughed, continuing to do it.
"I'm the King of the Messy Haired Society. Deal with it!" Hiro laughed. "But I can also get you back!" He smirked.
Oh no he's making that face-
Hiro spun around practically knocking Takashi over as he knocked off the young man's hat, ruffling up his hair. "RAAAAHH!"
"ACK! NOOOO!" Takashi was having tears come out of his eyes with how hard he was laughing.
"YESS! MUWAHAHAHA!" Hiro was turning a bit red in the face from how hard he was laughing himself. There was complete joy in his eyes.
"COUNTER ATTACK!" Takashi nearly threw him off before hauling the boy on to his shoulders, holding him by his ankles. "HAHA!"
"WAH!" Hiro flailed his arms a bit as the world turned upside down for him. "EVIL!" Deja vu!
"Darn right I am!" Takashi laughed, a bit evilly too. "You're now my prisoner!"
"Oh yeah?" He smirked. "You and what army?"
"I know a good load of chibis…. I HAVE A CHIBI ARMY AT MY COMMAND!" Takashi grinned before lowering the boy down gently.
Hiro got to his feet grinning.
"We have a Baymax."
"... Hm, you got me beat on that one." Takashi sat down, trying to catch his breath, picking up his hat. "... Heh… That kind of came out of nowhere…"
Hiro chuckled sitting on one of the spare chairs. "Yeah… But it was nice. Been cooped up inside all day so… Nice change of pace."
"True… This is the kind of stuff I do with my sister…" Takashi rubbed the back of his neck. "Em… Hope that wasn't too much… Don't really know you that well… I have tendency to rough house sometimes…"
Hiro threw his head back laughing.
"Dude we have a lab rule of "It's totally fine to play Get Down Mr. President if the teacher isn't around" here. I'm totally fine with it!"
"I see. I'll keep that in mind too."
"Takashi… if you see people holding their hand up to their ear, do it quickly if you don't want to be a pancake."
"Um… Sure… Why Mom?"
"I'll just leave it at "Get down Mr. President!"… also almost lost a few charts."
So that's a big thing… Huh.
"Mostly though we just do it to the guys who are being arrogant." Hiro smirked. "Oh man did this one guy yell… He was being a jerk and was holding Gogo's tools out of her reach… Did the signal… FLATTENED!"
Takashi laughed.
"Nice!"
"Right?!"
"I think I'm gonna like it here VERY much."
"I think so too." Hiro smiled. "Welcome to SFIT."