A/N: Seriously, you guys should know my Author's Notes by heart now. :p I can't thank you guys enough for the support and encouragement! I love you all! Thanks for sticking by my side for this long! Also, I loved hearing your opinions and thoughts! I'm not going to reveal the song that inspired me to write the next few chapters yet. It's actually a two part song and I really thought somebody came close enough to guessing it, but it didn't happen. :p Now, enough talk, let's get on with the story!
Hiro Hamada changed over the span of just a few days. For better or worse, Honey Lemon couldn't tell as she stared into his rage-filled eyes. The microbots circled around Hiro as he glared at the men in the room, confidence and determination erasing the fear lingering in his heart. The men stared, frozen in shock from the fact that the 'weak' kid in front of them wasn't as defenseless as they thought. In their eyes, he was a monster.
The Boss was the first one to move. He aimed the gun directly at Hiro's head, but several microbots slammed into the man's hand, making the gun fly through the air as the bones shattered upon impact. The man gripped his hand, cursing and backing away. He turned to the others, "What are you waiting for? Kill them all!" Immediately, a knife was forced against Honey Lemon's throat, making the woman gasp fearfully.
"I'll ask again." Hiro stated, not phased by the threat against Honey Lemon. "Where's Tadashi?"
Wasabi watched as Gogo emptied the contents of the last can. "I'm really not convinced this is a good idea."
"It's Hiro's plan, so it'll work. It has to." Gogo stated, trying to make herself believe.
Even Fred began to look doubtful, "What if it doesn't work? What if they can't get out? What do we do then?"
Gogo threw the can to the ground and turned to the two men, "If something goes wrong, you two are going to woman up and help me get them out of there. If you wimp out, I will make you regret it." Fred and Wasabi didn't argue, afraid of the fate they would meet if they tried. Gogo looked at the building, "How much time do we have, Wasabi?"
Wasabi checked the watch wrapped around his wrist, "Eight minutes, thirty-four seconds."
"Alright, let's get going. We can't be a second early or late." Gogo stated.
"No pressure or anything." Wasabi complained, but Gogo ignored him. She had more important things on her mind than being annoyed by the man's complaint. She didn't know what would happen next. She didn't know if her friends would leave that building alive. She didn't know how she could face Aunt Cass if anything happened to Tadashi, Honey Lemon, or Hiro. She didn't know how much her life would change without them.
She didn't want to find out.
So, she kept walking. "Hiro, this better work."
Sophie didn't know when she started crying.
One second, she was fine. The next, she was sobbing, hugging Mochi close to her chest as she tried to stop the sobs escaping her. She didn't want to worry anybody else. She didn't want Great Aunt Cass to worry about her. After all, Cass had enough to worry about. Sometimes, Sophie wished she was as smart as her father. If she were, she would build a time machine and go back to fix everything. For some reason, a part of Sophie believed the entire situation was her fault.
What did I do wrong? Why did my mommy and daddy have to be taken away from me? Will I see them again? Will I see any of them again? What if those people get me? What can I do then? Was there any way I could have stopped this? Tears trickled down her face and Mochi nudged her chin with his head, mewing. Sophie began to pet the animal, lost in her own blame.
"I'm going to bring back your mom and dad."
Hiro's voice rang in Sophie's ears, snapping her out of her own negative thoughts. "Pinky swear." She whispered.
Aunt Cass watched from the doorway, wanting to comfort the young girl, but knowing there was no way she could. In a situation like this, she didn't know how she would even be able to offer any kind of support.
(Flashback)
Aunt Cass stood at the school's office, her hand trembling as she waited for the older Hamada to appear. Three minutes passed and the woman found herself thinking of ways to deliver the bad news. She looked out the window, looking for an answer, hoping one would simply come to mind. However, she didn't have any luck.
"Aunt Cass?" A small voice asked a few feet away.
The woman didn't want to turn around. She didn't want the child to see the grief written on her face. However, Aunt Cass knew she had to. She had to be the strong one in this situation.
Tadashi began to grow worried, "Aunt Cass..."
Finally, the woman turned around and gently rested a hand on the child's shoulder, steering him away from the office and to the safety of the car. He sat in the passenger seat and Aunt Cass sat behind the wheel, now knowing how to tell the boy. He asked, "Aunt Cass, what's wrong?"
Only then did the woman notice the tears she had kept prisoner had finally escaped. She gripped the young boy's shoulders after attempting to wipe away her tears. "Tadashi..." She paused, still unsure what to say. Finally, she inhaled deeply, her breath ragged from the pressure of grief on her chest. "Your mom, dad, and brother were in an accident."
Immediately, Tadashi's eyes widened. "Are they okay? What happened? How-"
"Hiro is in the hospital. He's unconscious and..." Another tear fell from her eyes. "They don't know..."
Finally, Tadashi began to understand. "He has to make it! He has to! What about mom and dad? Where are they? Why aren't they with Hiro?" Tears streamed down the older Hamada's face as he yelled. He knew the answers to his own questions, he just didn't want to accept them.
"Tadashi... I'm sorry." Aunt Cass watched as he nephew began to slowly break down.
His parents were dead. He knew it, but a part of him refused to acknowledge it as he continued saying over and over, "They can't be dead."
Aunt Cass hugged the child as he cried into her shoulder, afraid to let him go. She was afraid she would lose another person that meant the world to her. As for Tadashi, the child believed his world was slowly falling apart around him and the sky was falling on top of him. At that point, he didn't care if one of the pieces from the sky crushed him completely. At least he would be with his parents. At least they could be a family once again.
Aunt Cass pulled away from the boy, "We need to go to Hiro."
Hiro.
That one name was the only thing that brought Tadashi out of his own grief. How selfish could he be? How could he wish to die and leave his brother alone? Hiro needed him. Hiro needed his older brother's support. In that moment, Tadashi realized one thing in this tragic situation. He had to live for Hiro's sake.
Hiro was the only thing keeping Tadashi from being swept away by the raging currents of death.
Hiro was his anchor.
(End Flashback)
Imaginary Hiro gently kicked the wall out of boredom. "Come on, nerd. I'm getting sick of staying here. Can we go now?"
Tadashi didn't answer as he slowly crawled to his knees, trying to block out the pain that radiated throughout his entire body. The older Hamada tried to stand, but the pain overwhelmed him and he collapsed the ground with an agonized cry.
"So close." Imaginary Hiro stated as he continued to kick the wall.
Tadashi spoke once he regained his breath, "I don't see you offerring any help."
Hiro shrugged, "Hey, I'm just a figment of your imagination. Ignore me if it makes you feel better."
Tadashi tried to stand once again, but fell to the ground. He remained on the ground, exhausted from trying to bear the pain and darkness began to close in around him. He forced the threat of unconsciousness away and gritted his teeth, attempting to stand again. A painful breath escaped his lungs as he stood on both feet, swaying in place.
"Congrats. You deserve a medal." Imaginary Hiro stated, "Now can we get out of here?"
Tadashi stumbled to one of the walls to use it as support as he went to the door. When he tried the handle, he wasn't surprised to find the door was locked. Of course he wouldn't be that lucky. There were no windows or air vents, only this single door. The older Hamada sighed in annoyance, "Now what?"
Hiro began kicking the wall again, "Use that brain of yours, nerd. You tell me."
Tadashi began to think, "I didn't ask you for help."
"Good, because I wasn't going to help." Imaginary Hiro muttered under his breath, crossing his arms in annoyance.
"Quit being such a big baby." Tadashi stated, even though he knew he was talking to himself. A wave of nausea coursed through the older Hamada and he found himself with his forehead pressed against the wall, trying to stop whatever was left in his stomach from escaping.
Hiro backed away, "Don't you dare puke. I don't want to be stuck in here with the contents of your stomach all over the floor."
Tadashi muttered sarcastically, "Thanks for the concern."
"That's what I'm here for." Imaginary Hiro stated.
Hiro didn't know what he was doing exactly.
He knew there were several guns pointed at him and everybody in the building except for Tadashi and Honey Lemon wanted to kill him. He had to find Tadashi quickly and get out of here. In reality, Hiro was terrified to begin with, even though he managed to pull off a strong appearance. He saw himself as a kid trying to fight men twice his size, which was true. He was only a teenager. What chance did he have against these ruthless men?
The microbots swirled around the teen and he found more courage seep into his heart. He had the microbots with him, which made him stronger. You can do this, Hiro. Just think. Breathe. "Where's my brother?"
The Boss smiled, "He's dead. You're too late."
Hiro shook his head, "You think I believe that? Have you ever heard of the robotic nurse my brother built? His name is Baymax and he scans people to diagnose what's wrong with them. I upgraded the scanners and had him scan this building. There were signs of life from Tadashi, so don't you dare try to convince me he's dead."
"If you know that, then you should also know what critical condition he's in." The Boss mocked.
The teen clenched his fist, "He's better off than what you're going to be after all of this is over." The microbots surged forward as Hiro began to run toward Honey Lemon, knocking the man away that had the knife against her throat while using the microbots to block the bullets flying through the air. Hiro watched as one of the men turned the gun on Honey Lemon, pointing the barrell at her forehead. Fear and anxiety made the teen's heart thump faster as he lunged between the man and Honey Lemon.
A gunshot went off. Honey Lemon screamed and closed her eyes, her gut clenching at the realization that Hiro had most likely been hit by a the bullet. All the sound grew muffled and the world grew darker even though her eyes had been closed. Suddenly, a hand touched her shoulder and she opened her eyes. A small light broke the darkness and Honey Lemon gasped at the sight of the microbots surrounding her and Hiro. Some of them had shifted to allow some light in the cocoon they were in.
Hiro's worried eyes met hers, "Are you okay? Are you-" He was pulled into a fierce hug, his bones seeming to crush from the strength.
"If we get out of here alive, I don't want you to ever do anything like this again." Honey Lemon reprimanded him, tears in her eyes as she held her brother-in-law.
Hiro smiled and returned the hug, "We don't have much time." He broke away and looked at the watch around his wrist. "Three minutes, seventeen seconds."
"What do you mean by three-" Honey Lemon began to ask, confusion crossing her face as she noticed something else. "You're bleeding!"
Hiro felt the blood trickle down toward his lip and he wiped away some of the blood streaming from his nose. "I'm fine."
"It's because of this new invention, isn't it?" Honey Lemon questioned, pointing at the neurocranial transmitter on Hiro's head.
He nodded, "They're not complete. I can only use them for fifteen minutes."
A foreboding sensation flooded Honey Lemon, "What happens after fifteen minutes?"
Hiro looked at his watch again, "Two minutes, forty-eight seconds. We have to move. Do you know where Tadashi is?"
"No, they separated us a while ago. I haven't seen him since..." Honey Lemon informed, irked that he ignored her question.
Hiro's face darkened, "I think I have an idea." Then, he began to talk quickly, "The others are outside, they'll help you escape. Just get out of this building and they'll take you to a safe place. I'll hold them off while you get out of here."
"I'm not leaving-" Honey Lemon knew what he was planning on doing.
Hiro interrupted her again, "We don't have time to argue, Honey Lemon. Just trust me!" He waited for her to argue with him, but continued when she remained silent. "When the time comes, I want you to run through the doors as quickly as you can and don't look back no matter what. I'll find Tadashi."
"Hiro, I don't think this is a good idea. What if-" Honey Lemon stopped when more blood poured from Hiro's nose.
The teen wiped the blood away again, "I promised Sophie I would bring you both back. I'm not breaking my promise to her." He looked at his watch again, "Two minutes, twelve seconds. We have to go. On the count of three, I'm going to drop the wall of microbots. Stay behind me and don't run until I tell you." He didn't give her time to argue. Hiro made the microbots move until they formed a wall between them and the enemy. Quickly, they began to move toward the door. Hiro watched the seconds tick on the watch.
Two minutes.
Hiro blocked himself and Honey Lemon from the bullets that flew toward them, hoping they made it to the door in time. The Boss shouted orders at the men as they tried to surround the two people trying to escape. A bullet managed to break through the barrier of microbots and grazed Honey Lemon's leg, making her stumble a bit. Hiro grabbed her by the arm instinctively and tried to shield her with his own body in case abother bullet managed to get past the microbots. Honey Lemon's eyes were wide from fear and pain, but the adrenaline rush eventually blocked out the fact that blood streamed from a huge cut in her leg.
One minute, thirty-two seconds.
They were twenty feet away from the door and Hiro tried to pick up the pace. Blood streamed from his nose onto his shirt and the floor, making him unable to breathe through his nose. A bullet hit the wall behind them, making pieces of brick embed into their skin. They ignored the pain and continued moving. Hiro stumbled a bit, but Honey Lemon caught him before he could get in the line of fire. The doors were twelve feet away. Eleven. Ten. Blood trickled down Hiro's throat and the teen nearly gagged at the copper taste that eventually settled on his stomach.
Fifty-seven seconds.
They were only five feet away from the doors. "Go." Hiro commanded, looking back at Honey Lemon. Time seemed to slow for a moment as the woman ran toward the door. Honey Lemon had looked into Hiro's fearful eyes and finally understood why he was here despite the fear. He wanted to protect those that mattered to him. He wanted to be the one that sent these demons disguised as humans back to the Hell they came from. He had to be the one to end this.
The look in his eyes told the truth: he would end it, even if it killed him.
Honey Lemon would never forget that image. She would never forget those eyes that seemed to penetrate her soul as she ran through the door and into the fresh air. The door slammed behind her, the noise echoing in the stillness of the night. However, she didn't pay attention, she could only focus on the image of Hiro burned into her memory.
Thirty-eight seconds.
Hiro made sure Honey Lemon had left before turning his attention to the enemy in front of him. He made the microbots move forward as he ran toward the gunfire, shocking the men for a moment. The micrbots knocked some of them down on the way and Hiro commanded some of them to gather under his feet. A moment later, the microbots pushed the teen into the air, sending him flying onto an upper level bridge of the warehouse. The gunfire still continued as Hiro ran along the railed bridge, the microbots still shielding him from the bullets.
Twenty-five seconds.
Hiro ran until he was off the bridge-like structure, then made a left to run down hallway, the microbots still trailing him. The gunfire had stopped and was replaced by loud profanities that the teen ignored. He had to find Tadashi, but he knew where he most likely was. He made it to one of the doors and tried to open it, but it was locked. He used the microbots to break down the door.
Thirteen seconds.
Tadashi didn't know he had passed out until he found himself waking up on his back, lying on the floor. He moved a weak hand toward his head in an attempt to soothe the migraine forming.
Imaginary Hiro walked up to him, "You weren't out long if that's what you were wondering."
Tadashi felt the nausea return and he just closed his eyes tightly, the darkness returning once again. He could hear Imaginary Hiro still talking to him and a part of him wanted to tell the figment of his imagination to shut up and leave him alone.
"Tadashi." A moment of silence.
"-out of here." More silence. Tadashi felt a hand rest on his arm and Imaginary Hiro continued talking. "Come on."
"Wake up." Imaginary Hiro was more desperate now. "Tadashi!" Something hit the older Hamada across the face and his eyes flew open, searching for what hit him. Imaginary Hiro knelt next to him looking exhausted, but relieved.
Tadashi froze, noticing the hand on his arm once more and realized that figments of his imagination would not be tangible. "Hiro?" His voice shook in a whisper filled with disbelief. Then, he saw the microbots around Hiro. "What are-"
Zero seconds.
The microbots fell to the ground, motionless, as blood poured from Hiro's nose and a headache made him feel like somebody was stabbing him in the head. Exhausted from having to concentrate on controlling the microbots, Hiro inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, trying to calm the dizziness he had. He held out a hand to Tadashi, "We have to get out of here."
"Honey Lemon and Sophie?" Tadashi asked, concerned.
Hiro smiled, "They're safe."
After hearing that, Tadashi managed to gather the strength he needed. He reached for Hiro's hand and allowed the teen to help him to his feet. A loud bang echoed in the room and Hiro collapsed to the gound, blood pouring from the gunshot wound in his right leg. Tadashi forgot about his own pain and moved to position himself in front of his wounded brother, glaring at the man who was the cause of all this mayhem.
"I told you long ago that you wouldn't leave here alive." The Boss stated, a gun levelled at Tadashi's chest by a steady hand. "Now, the only question is whether or not I kill both of you now or let you suffer. Which do you chose?"
A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! There's more to come! Have a great day/night!
Guest Reviews:
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