Chapter 11 - Fallout
Cass eventually found herself in a small conference room in the hospital that evening, although technically it was the next morning by that point. She didn't know what the room was normally used for but Detective Elizabeth Mazda seemed to have taken it over for the time being. The police officer had papers strewn about the table and seemed to be coordinating with both higher ups and lower downs over a tiny headset and her cell phone. Despite all of that, Cass found herself liking the woman because as soon as an officer had brought Cass up, the woman had sat Cass down and explained exactly what was going on and what they were going to do next. Mazda had apparently tried to get Hiro involved in the debriefing as well, but the boy had stubbornly refused to leave his brother's side while the medical staff treated Tadashi and Gogo. Hiro himself had apparently already been treated by an overzealous EMT, which Cass was rather grateful for.
Cass could've told Mazda it would end up that way. Ever since the fire, she'd seen Hiro giving Tadashi the same worried looks Tadashi often gave Hiro, meaning it had finally sunk into the younger teenager's brain that the older one was human and thus not immortal. More, she suspected Hiro was figuring out exactly what that meant in conjunction with with Tadashi's rather disturbing inability to accurately consider his own peril. It wasn't like Tadashi was suicidal or anything; he just didn't view himself as more important that other people in general and the people he was close to in particular. It hadn't surprised Cass in the least to find out Tadashi had tried to run into the SFIT fire and she had been more than a little relieved and grateful to find out her boy hadn't made it inside before the concussive force of the explosion had knocked him back.
The superhero thing had surprised her, but only because Cass had half-way convinced herself that - with Hiro's newfound over-protective urges towards his brother and the fact Tadashi had never gotten rid of his - neither of her boys would allow the other to be involved in something that unsafe. It hadn't lasted long, however, once she realized their friends and Tadashi's healthcare robot were part of the equation, thus likely negating the danger level in their minds. Honestly, she found herself accepting it had been inevitable what with Tadashi's reckless selflessness and Hiro's insistence on making anything he was involved with 'awesome'. Of course, she'd hoped she could keep it to a one-time thing now that both of her boys had gotten a glimpse of how careless their actions had been but now, as she stared down at the contract Mazda had given her to sign that would allow her underaged nephew be a superhero/police consultant, she knew it wasn't to be.
"They're never going to leave my boys alone, are they?" Cass asked and she wasn't just referring to the media that had descended like locusts once they got wind of what had happened. Mazda gave her a grim but sympathetic smile.
"No, I'm afraid not. There was a possibility it would've blown over eventually because costumes aren't that unique. People might have eventually brushed it off as cosplayers in the wrong place at the right time or a group of insane people out for revenge. Then Krei pointed the media at your boys after the first incident, which caught people's attention, and now this mess. The moment Gogo Tomago made it clear she was protecting your nephews, she established the Big Heroes as more than just one-offs and that your nephews are their civilian contacts. That means anyone wanting a piece of the Big Heroes are probably going to want a piece of your boys as well. Their civilian identities, I mean."
Cass slumped in her chair and asked, "Now what?"
"Well, we're currently figuring out a way to keep people from finding out your nephews actually are Big Heroes and not just the civilians responsible for the team's gear. Hiro said he had an idea before he tagged after his brother, but he also said he needs Tadashi's help to pull it off, so we're waiting for the medics to clear them, which shouldn't be too much longer.
"Speaking of that, I'm actually glad the standard contract for this kind of thing includes mandatory therapy sessions. I don't know if anyone's mentioned this to you yet, but your older nephew was sexually assaulted while being held hostage. Last I heard, he was insisting a rape kit wasn't necessary because, I quote, 'she didn't get that far', but he's still probably going to touch-shy for a while at the very least."
"Oh God," Cass moaned, because she still clearly remembered the last time Tadashi had girl trouble. Why did he always seem to attract the crazy ones? "What about Hiro?"
"Hiro hasn't said anything about it happening to him, but I got the distinct impression while taking their statements that he witnessed exactly how far the Fujita in question got with his brother. The sooner you get both of those boys in therapy, the better. Here's the number of the psychiatrist I'm arranging. She runs a family practice and is a bit unorthodox in her methods, but she gets results and she's really good at keeping secrets."
Great, Hiro had witnessed this incident too. Tadashi must be thrilled. Not. Therapy was sounding better and better. Cass wondered if the therapist would be willing to see her too.
Now that she'd had a moment to consider the past night's events, Gogo suddenly had much greater respect for Tadashi's sanity. She'd thought Tadashi was the insanely reckless one of the family, but her friend had never actually stolen an ambulance to her knowledge, nor any other vehicle he didn't actually know how to drive. She was also pretty certain he'd never talked his way out a situation where he was being actively held hostage.
Gogo's respect for Cass, which had already been pretty high, had shot through the roof when she realized that the older woman had somehow kept both of her nephews alive and pretty much in one piece for over a decade with little to no help. Cass was an amazing woman and Gogo hoped that, when she grew up, she'd never have to raise anyone like the Hamada brothers because being their friend was hard enough. Especially since they were also both hypocrites to boot.
"I still can't believe you stole an ambulance."
"Hey, I needed it to catch up and rescue you and Gogo after you got yourself sold to the highest bidder."
"Which wouldn't have happened if you hadn't let yourself be taken!"
"They were going to kill you, Tadashi! They had a gun to your head! And at the time they didn't exactly know you're apparently worth half-a-million to someone! I didn't want you to get hurt!"
"Yeah? Well, ditto!"
There was a pause as they both took a deep breath and Gogo took advantage to interject, "Are you done?" When both shot her startled looks, having apparently forgotten they had an audience, she added, "Because from my point-of-view, you're both reckless idiots incapable of considering how your actions will affect others. I have spent the night being chased, chasing you, being shot at, fighting five-to-six on one odds, beat up, nearly dumped into a pit of spikes, actually dumped into a water tank, and otherwise doing whatever I could to save both your asses and I haven't even gotten a thank you yet."
Both of the Hamada brothers winced and quickly murmured, "Thank you, Gogo."
"You're welcome. Now can you please stop fighting? At least wait until we're somewhere a bit more private and I don't have headache."
Both of the boys looked somewhat mutinous at her request but Hiro had winced again when she'd mentioned privacy and Tadashi had added a bit of a guilty look when she mentioned having a headache. She felt a little bit guilty at guilt-trip but they really should wait until they were somewhere a random person couldn't barge in and she really did have a headache from listening to them blame the other for risking their life in order to save each other. See? Hypocrites. She sighed and wished for a piece of gum but her last piece had been destroyed sometime during the night.
"So..." Hiro eventually started after a few blessed minutes of silence, "What are we going to tell the others about this when they get back from the convention? I mean, they're going to know something's up what with the whole police consultant thing."
"Aw, crap," Gogo moaned, hitting her forehead with the base of her palm. "I forgot to call them and let them know we're alright."
"Wait, they know?" Hiro squeaked, eyes going wide.
"How did you think the cops found the roller derby, genius?" Gogo snarked. "I had them infiltrate Yama's Los Edos casino and trace the video feed. It was part of my deal with Yama; it had to be a live feed."
"Well, my phone's gone," Tadashi stated with a sigh, "I'm pretty certain that even if the cops did find it, it's probably been confiscated as evidence by now, so we'll have to use one of your guys' phones."
Hiro and Gogo both winced, making Tadashi look at them suspiciously.
"What?" he asked.
"The bottomless pit they had you bound over? Has a very wet bottom. Hiro and I got to find that out first hand. The suit's kill switch saved the electronics for my maglev, but not my phone or the radio in my helmet. I'm pretty certain Hiro's in the same boat," Gogo explained.
"Yeah, my phone's pretty well waterlogged too. Waterproof my butt. We might have to ask Honey Lemon about additional waterproofing."
"So we all need new phones. Great. Aunt Cass is going to kill us," Tadashi declared.
"And why would I need to kill you?" Cass asked from the door, making them all jump.
"They either have no phone or a phone that doesn't work," Gogo tattled when neither brother said anything.
"Yours isn't working either!" Hiro shot back.
"So? She doesn't have to pay for mine," Gogo easily replied. Cass just sighed as she moved towards the only other chair in the room, Hiro having stolen the one between Gogo and Tadashi's beds.
"We'll deal with that later," Cass decided out loud.
"But we need to call the others and let them know we're okay," Tadashi quickly interjected with a worried look.
"Oh! Give me just a sec!" Cass told him as she fumbled with her phone.
"When did you call them, anyway?" Hiro asked Gogo.
"I texted them on the way to the roller derby. I'm glad they managed to come through."
"Huh. What's the likelihood they're on their way back right now?" Hiro wondered.
"Pretty high," Wasabi's voice dryly stated. Gogo leaned towards where Cass was holding up her phone, wincing slightly at the movement as it tugged on her injuries. Cass had her phone on speaker and barely visible on the screen was Honey Lemon holding up the phone so they could see her, Wasabi in the driver's seat, and Fred and Baymax in the back seat in the darkened interior of Wasabi's car. Baymax reached out to tap the screen, as if wondering why they were in the small device.
"Hey, buddy. How are you?" Tadashi asked, visibly relaxing at the sight of his robot.
"I have been recently recharged and I have learned that gambling does not make me a better healthcare companion."
"Uh, yeah. That's right," Tadashi agreed, an eyebrow rising as his eyes flickered towards their friends. Honey Lemon and Wasabi gave him rather guilty grins but Fred quickly saved their butts by gleefully announcing, "We had to go undercover to get into the casino. It was awesome!"
Of course, attracting attention to himself made Gogo realize something despite the dim light in the car.
"Wait. Fred, are you wearing lipstick?"
"Yeah! Lola did an awesome job."
"Lola?" Cass muttered but since she was holding the phone she was obviously heard.
"She's a drag queen my mom knows. She's pretty cool. You should've see the outfit Wasa- Ow!"
"Fred! I thought we agreed not to talk about that!" Wasabi interjected in a hiss between clenched teeth.
"Oh, yeah," Fred agreed before leaning closer to the phone and whispering, "Tell you later."
Honey Lemon giggled while Wasabi stated, "I can hear you, Fred." Fred gave him an innocent, beaming grin.
"Don't know what you're talking about."
"Fred," Wasabi warned.
"Guys," Tadashi interrupted, running a hand down his face.
"Sorry. We're glad you're okay!" Honey Lemon replied, echoed by the others.
"Oh, that reminds me. The hell is with you two?! We left you alone for one weekend - one! - and you got yourselves kidnapped!" Wasabi raved.
"That was totally not my fault!" Hiro protested.
"Says the guy who ripped off Big Yama," Gogo pointed out, wishing she had gum to pop.
"Hey, I didn't know he was some sort of big crime lord. The guy wore sweat pants to a bot fight, for crying out loud! What kind of crime lord wears sweat pants to a bot fight?! Besides, Tadashi got kidnapped before I did."
"Because I was looking for you, bonehead. Why didn't you call me when you left campus?"
"Because I didn't want you to come looking for me," Hiro admitted a bit sheepishly.
"Well that obviously backfired."
They both glared at each other until Tadashi sighed and ran a hand down his face.
"Look, Hiro, I'll take off the trackers if you just agree to call me like a normal person."
"What? No! Leave them on! In fact, you both need trackers!" Gogo insisted. "I have never met two people more trouble-prone than you two! Just make it so no one else can use them. Put it in our helmets, maybe."
"Aw, yes!" Fred crowed over the phone before enthusing, "Great idea! That way, if a supervillain ever tries to separate or kidnap one of us, everyone else can swoop in for the rescue!" Honey Lemon and Wasabi visibly winced as he pumped his fists in the small space of Wasabi's car.
"I thought we weren't continuing the whole superhero thing," Wasabi stated with a frown.
"Yeah, well, we have something to tell you," Hiro admitted with a wince.
"Like what?" Honey Lemon gently inquired.
"Like we either all sign on as police consultants or we end up in jail," Gogo bluntly informed them.
"WHAT?!"
They quickly explained the offer and what it meant to their friends.
"Well, I suppose that makes sense. And they're not likely to actually call us, right?" Wasabi conceded.
"Right now, we'd be playing bodyguards to Hiro and Tadashi to warn people off. Once we convince people they're not part of the team, that is," Gogo explained.
"Oh! Detective Mazda was talking about that! She said you told her you had an idea, Hiro," Cass added.
"Huh? Oh, yeah! Listen up, guys. Here's what we should do..."
"You know, when they let us go home, I wasn't expecting to be trapped here," Hiro complained at his webcam. They'd gotten home so early Saturday morning that the sun still hadn't been up although it had been starting to get lighter. They had been allowed to leave with the knowledge they had to be at the main police station by Sunday evening for their little staged plan to work, but Saturday was going to be so everyone out of town had time to get back in and everyone could catch some sleep. It was Sunday morning now, everyone was awake and back in town, and Hiro was talking to his and Tadashi's friends while Tadashi helped Aunt Cass figure out a more permanent fix for their broken front door.
"Seriously, though, I need out of here or I'm going to freak!"
"It can't be that bad. I mean, you live above a restaurant so you're practically set for a siege," Wasabi pointed out.
"Not with the way Aunt Cass is stress eating," Tadashi suddenly added as he came up the stairs. He frowned at the darkened bedroom. "Hiro, why are the blinds closed?"
"Why? This is why," Hiro answered, opening the closest blind that wasn't facing the computer screen. On the sidewalk below, a bunch of questions were suddenly shouted out as the reporters camped outside tried to catch attention without getting themselves slapped with a trespassing violation. That was bad enough, but there was a glint two houses down that attracted attention to a telephoto lens that was obviously taking pictures of them and the inside of their room. Tadashi closed the blinds while making a face.
"Okay, that might be a bit of a problem, especially if we're going to sneak our stuff out for the press conference," Tadashi conceded.
Hiro nodded before turning back to the webcam and begging, "Help!"
"Don't worry, little dude. The Fred-man's got a plan! Pack what you need and be downstairs and ready to go in one hour. Got it?"
"Got it," Hiro agreed before exiting out of the video chat.
"I'll get clothes if you'll figure out a way to move our supersuits and the microbots without attracting attention," Hiro offered to Tadashi.
"Right," Tadashi agreed before calling downstairs, "Hey, Aunt Cass! Grab Mochi! We've got a way out!"
"Ready?" Fred voice asked over Hiro's cell phone, which the boy had put on speaker so everyone could hear any instructions.
"We're downstairs," Tadashi confirmed.
"Good. A car's going to pull up front and honk the Batman theme."
"You mean, na-na-na-na-na-na Batman?"
"That's the one! When you hear it, run out and jump in the car. Okay?"
"Got it," Hiro agreed as he surreptitiously unlocked the door, pulled it open a fraction and then relocked the spring lock. That way they'd be able to pull it open and it would lock behind them when they pulled it closed right after. They'd have to send someone to lock the bolts later.
The three of them stood on edge for thirty seconds, ready to sprint, when they heard the signal. They stepped and ran for a car with heavily-tinted windows. The bulk of the car had forced the worst of the mass of people back but it was still a bit of a gauntlet to get to the car and inside. Once the three and their bags, including Mochi in his cat carrier, were squeezed into the backseat, Fred turned around from his place riding shotgun and gave them a thumbs up.
"So far so good, dudes. Ow!"
Gogo turned from hitting him to go back to gripping the steering wheel, saying, "Don't you ever make me honk the Batman theme again."
"Gogo?" Tadashi said in surprise.
"Yep. Buckle up and hang on. Time to lose the crowd."
"So where are we going?" Aunt Cass breathlessly asked after everyone scrambled for their seatbelts and Gogo took off.
"My place," Fred responded as Gogo was busy evading paparazzi and news vans.
"It's a mansion," Hiro added when Fred didn't elaborate.
"You have a mansion?" Aunt Cass asked, eyebrows rising.
"Oh, yeah. Now hang on," Gogo stated before taking a sharp left. By the time they'd lost the news crews and various paparazzi, Aunt Cass was looking a little wild-eyed.
"Well, that was an interesting drive," she allowed as they exited out of the car in the safety of Fred's garage.
"Yeah, and we didn't end up in the bay this time."
"What?!" Aunt Cass squawked. Tadashi elbowed Hiro in the ribs while giving his brother a look.
"Ow!" Hiro yelped. The familiar sound of inflating followed.
"There he is. We left him here for the time being, if that's okay," Fred stated. Tadashi nodded as Baymax strode over.
"That's fine."
"Hello. I am Baymax, you're personal healthcare companion. Hello, Hiro. Do you require assistance?"
"Baymax! Tadashi's being mean to me," Hiro enthused before pulling off the fakest pout ever. Baymax's head went down and then back up.
"Scan complete. I detect no injuries, but elevated neurotransmitter levels suggest that you have been engaging in what Aunt Cass terms 'rough housing' and 'horse play'. If done cautiously, there are no problems with such actions but if you fear injury, might I suggest protective gear?"
Hiro let out a disgusted noise.
"You heard the man," Tadashi teased, elbowing his brother again.
"I am not a man. I am a robot," Baymax corrected. Tadashi clapped a hand on Baymax's shoulder with an amused look before following Fred to the door that connected to the house. Aunt Cass blinked as the door was opened by a butler.
"Wow. You really do have a mansion. Uh, hi. Do you come with the place?"
The best part, Hiro decided, was Heathcliff's bland expression as he responded, "I am a family retainer so, no, I do not come with the house."
"We've got the rest of the microbots still in the spare pool. Where's the microbots you were bringing?" Fred eventually inquired.
"Being useful," Tadashi replied, glancing at the luggage and cat carrier which were all white with red and purple detailing. Fred followed his look, blinked, and then grinned.
"Nice!"
"Just lead me someplace we can put Mochi and the few things we brought for cover and then we can work on the plan. Did Honey Lemon bring the stuff for the mirror coating?"
"She's getting it right now."
The guest room was as posh as the rest of the building.
"Ooh, are you sure it's okay to leave Mochi in here?" Aunt Cass with a worried frown. Fred waved off her worries with a brief, "It's fine." Mochi meowed in surprise as the microbots forming his carrier suddenly set him gently down on the floor while the suitcases sat out a change of clothes for each of the Hamada brothers and their aunt on the bed.
"That was awesome!" Fred enthused. "Where are you hiding the thing? Under your hat?"
"Yeah," Tadashi replied, pulling up his baseball cap to reveal the NCT before tugging it back down. "If we're going to pull this off this evening, I'll need the practice, especially at moving them while trying to appear like I'm not. Holding them in one place is the easiest so far, but I think I might be getting there for advanced movement."
"Right. Practice and painting. Let's do this!" Fred agreed. Hiro, Tadashi, and the microbots followed Fred as he left the guest room, leaving Aunt Cass alone with Mochi and Heathcliff.
"Well, I feel a bit useless right now," Aunt Cass admitted.
"If you wish, you may join me in the kitchens. Master Frederick raves about your 'cat's paws' and I know the cook would love to exchange recipes with you."
"Oh! Okay."
There was only a little bit of time left before they had to leave for the police station. The remainder of the microbots had been repainted in their new colors, Tadashi had his part down pat, everyone had been fed and watered, and there really wasn't anything left to do before they had to go. While everyone else was lazing about as they waited, Tadashi was pacing and fretting because far too much of the plan involved him not screwing up. Baymax suddenly moved into his way and pulled him into a hug. Tadashi froze in surprise for a moment before melting into the embrace even as Baymax lectured, "Hugs are good for emotional well-being and can help calm an agitated individual."
"Thanks, buddy," Tadashi said, pulling back and patting the robot's arm. Then he smiled an evil smile and added, "I think Hiro could use a hug as well."
"What? No, I don't!" Hiro insisted as Tadashi sicced Baymax on him. He didn't get farther than standing up before Baymax caught him up in a hug, complete with a pat to the head and a, "There, there. You will be alright."
"Hate you so much right now," Hiro informed Tadashi, glaring at his brother from the confines of the robot's arms. Tadashi gave him a fake pout. "So much," Hiro reiterated.
Tadashi relented and said, "Come on, buddy. We need to get you in your armor."
"Everyone ready?" Mazda asked over her radio.
"Ready," the Big Heroes all called in response. The detective, dressed in full uniform for a change, nodded and stated, "Beginning operation."
"Copy that."
Mazda looked at the Hamada brothers and their aunt before jerking her head at the door.
"Showtime, people."
The main police station for San Fransokyo had a set-up for major events requiring press conferences so dealing with news crews was nothing new for them. They'd actually already started the press conference, explaining what was 'officially' known about the roller derby, namely that, yes, it had happened, yes, the Big Heroes had been involved because the Hamada brothers had been kidnapped, and, yes, the Hamada's were fine and the crime lord they believed responsible was behind bars. Then someone in the crowd realized said Hamadas were trying to sneak past and there was a pause as cameras flashed and questions were shouted at the family and not the officer at the podium.
Hiro suddenly broke away and, to the apparent surprise of the officer giving the media a speech, he grabbed a microphone. Then he froze for a moment at the sight of all of the people looking at him expectantly.
"Uh, hi!" he squeaked before clearing his throat and trying again. "Hi! I'm Hiro Hamada but I'm pretty sure you already know that. Anyway, I just wanted to say, yes, my brother and I were kidnapped Friday night, yes, we're fine, and no, we can't say more until the trial so please stop asking. Also, can you stop blocking the traffic around our house? It's making it hard for my aunt to run her business. Oh, and the guy two houses down trying to take pictures of our bedroom with a telephoto lens? You are really creepy. Stop it. Uh. That's all. Thank you."
Hiro gave the officer a sheepish smile as he handed the microphone back. The man just sighed and shook his head as he accepted it before facing the media again even as Hiro rejoined Tadashi and Aunt Cass. They pulled him into a hug as soon as he reached them. Then the crowd gasped as a platform of microbots suddenly lifted Hiro, Tadashi, and Aunt Cass up into the air.
"We'll take them from here," Wasabi called out in his best heroic voice.
If the media's reaction to seeing Hiro and Tadashi had been excited, they turned rabid when they realized the Big Heroes were standing on the police station's roof. Well, five of the them were, but the media wouldn't be able to tell because there were two microbot constructions there mimicking Hiro and Tadashi in their suits. The 'White Knight' construct was even gesturing to make it look like it was controlling the microbots even as Tadashi held Hiro and the suddenly clingy Aunt Cass and murmured, "It's okay, I've got you."
The team helped the family move off of the platform of microbots and to the roof proper, Tadashi pausing while Fred helped him to tug his cap down a bit more firmly over the NCT to keep it hidden from view. Hiro, meanwhile, quickly scrambled over to give his double a fist bump so as to make their physical differences more noticeable. At Hiro's insistence, Hiro's double was slightly taller and stockier while Tadashi's double was slightly slimmer, shorter, and a bit more androgynous-looking.
Baymax insisted on being involved in the fist bumping, leaving the team grateful the media wasn't close enough to hear his "Bah-a-la-la-la" noise. They didn't stay much longer before sneaking away. Their job here was done.
Meanwhile, Hiro fist bumping Baymax while standing next to his double would end up on the front page of every newspaper and news site in the city
"Hmm... clever," Alistair Krei mused as he took in the news Monday morning. He hadn't been aware the microbots could mimic so well. At least, he was fairly certain the doubles were the result of the microbots. They'd also, by keeping the focus on Hiro, helped to further hide Tadashi's involvement.
Krei glanced down at the cell phone sitting next to his morning coffee and bagel and debated. He'd already had to replace and destroy the old sim card in it to prevent the police from attempting to trace it back to either the buyer who'd contacted Yama or the anonymous tipper who'd sited 'suspicious activity' near the location of the drop-off. He hadn't planned on losing any more than the five hundred thousand yen he had and, while things hadn't turned out as anticipated, they weren't anything he couldn't work with or around. There were still a few loose ends, however. There was the possibility they would take care of themselves, but still...
A knock roused Krei from his thoughts.
"Sir, SFIT's board of directors wants your opinion on something," Yaqin signed.
"Ah. Which line?"
"Three, sir. Sir?"
"Yes, Yaqin?"
"Do you really want to move forward with that?" Yaqin silently inquired, gesturing at a pile of rather important paperwork that just so happened to have Tadashi Hamada's name in a rather prominent position.
"Yes, I think I do," Krei replied seriously before giving his assistant a charming grin. "Don't worry, Yaqin. It will all work out. I'll make sure of it."
It was dangerous for them all to be here like this but after spending the weekend running and hiding, they needed to meet up and consider their options.
"What do we do with the Boss in jail?" Kyodai asked, still nursing the bruises the Big Hero had given him when she'd forcefully tackled him in the alley.
Tsubaki grimaced as she pushed her hair out of her face. She hated wearing it down but the younger Hamada had seen her out of costume once so her wanted poster was a lot more accurate than she liked. She gave up with a sigh and admitted, "They've got Ran, Botan, and Ayame rotting in a cell as well as most of the grunts. Even if Boss manages to get his trial expedited, theirs probably won't be. And the cops got enough video from the derby that I don't think even the Boss will be able to deny involvement. Kidnapping's a federal crime, you know?"
"So that's it, then? The Boss is done for and so's what he built," Sakura stated bitterly.
"So, revenge?" Max suggested, his twin brother nodding in agreement.
"Don't you idiots watch the news?" Hinata sneered. "The Big Heroes basically closed rank around the Hamadas. No one's getting close enough to harm them without the whole team coming down hard."
They all wilted a little but the resulting silence meant everyone heard Tsubaki's phone chime from a text. She quickly looked at her phone with a frown that turned into a slow, sadistic smile.
"Well, well, well."
"What, Tsubaki?" Hinata snapped impatiently.
"The buyer contacted us."
"What do they want?" Sakura asked warily.
"They say they know what happened wasn't our fault and they're offering a job. To all of us."
There was a contemplative pause.
"It could be a trap."
"And if it's not?"
"Then sign me up."
The remains of Yama's empire smiled vicious smiles. Looked like they might have a new Boss.
Meanwhile, someone else was catching up to the news online on their phone while still in their tiny apartment.
"Oh, good. They're actually superheroes and not just pretending. Maybe now I can finally have my revenge! Mwahahaha!"
The evil laughter was cut off by pounding on the thin apartment wall and a heavily accented voice yelling, "Cut it off! People are trying to sleep!"
"Yes, Mrs. Ramirez. Sorry, Mrs. Ramirez. Won't happen again, Mrs. Ramirez."
"Good!" the woman shouted back before muttering just loud enough to be heard by her neighbor, "Who goes 'mwahahaha' anyway?"
"Hmph!" he grumped, although he kept it down to a whisper. "I'll show her. I'll show them all..."
A TV was playing a recording of the news even as a printer spat out photo-quality images. The photos were snatched up as soon as they were done and pinned in seemingly random locations to a large cork board. A method to the madness appeared, however, as hand-written notes and strings were added in. A picture of the Lucky Cat Café taken the Saturday following the roller derby - as evidenced by the still broken front door in the image - was connected to a close-up of a scowling Tadashi pulling down the blinds on a window, which was then connected to the picture of Hiro fist bumping Baymax that had made the front page. Hiro had been circled and a scrap of paper wondered, 'Weak link?' while another noted, 'Heavily Protected'.
"-trying to take pictures of our bedroom with a telephoto lens? You are really creepy. Stop it," the Hiro in the recorded interview that had taken the city by storm demanded. The person standing at the cork board huffed in laughter.
"Creepy, huh? Noted," they stated even as they scrawled out a new note and attached it to the board.
'Find new way to observe.'
"You're coming to classes today?" Gogo asked as she walked up to where Hiro was splayed out in one of the chairs in the break room just off the labs. Tadashi was standing nearby, making barley tea from specially made teabags while he watched the interaction.
"You're here," Hiro pointed out without looking up from his phone.
"I wasn't the one kidnapped a few days ago. I also heard rumors you both were being given some time off in order to 'adjust' or something," Gogo replied as she grabbed a chair, flipped it around, and sat in it. Her arms crossed over the backrest and she blew a bubble with her gum.
"All of my professors told me to take a week off," Tadashi admitted as he finished making his tea, "But Hiro needed a ride."
"All of my professors told me the same except Roe, the hard-ass. And speaking of the devil, he just sent me an email saying I don't actually have to show up in his classes for the week. Damn it, couldn't he have sent this earlier?" Hiro complained.
"So, you're going to be heading back home then?" Gogo asked. The brothers exchanged looks.
"Stay here and tinker in our nice, quiet labs the press can't even get close to or go home?"
"If we go home, we'll either be stuck playing nice with a bunch of nosy people while we help Aunt Cass, or tinkering in the garage with a bunch of reporters asking what we're making for the Big Heroes next, or hiding in our room with the blinds shut and not actually getting anything done."
"Ah," Gogo replied after popping her bubble. Then Wasabi suddenly burst in.
"If you see Honey Lemon, I'm not here," he hissed at them before doing his best to hide. Honey Lemon paused by the open door to the break room soon after.
"Wasabi!" she wailed, waving the dress she was holding, "It's just the one! Lola wants to see it modeled before buying it. I swear, if you make me lose this sale...!"
"Lola? As in the drag queen Fred's mom knows?" Tadashi wondered.
"I don't want to know," Gogo decided.
"Says you. I want to see how this ends," Hiro insisted before calling out, "Honey Lemon! He's in here!"
"Traitor!" Wasabi squealed as he popped out of his hiding spot and made a dash for it.
"Wasabi! Get back here!" Honey Lemon demanded as she ran after. Hiro trotted after them both, phone obviously recording their antics. It was thus a bit of a surprise when Honey Lemon and Wasabi came back almost immediate, wearing upset expressions while Hiro was nowhere in sight.
"Tadashi! Come quick! They're moving your and Hiro's labs!"
"What?!" Tadashi asked rhetorically as he swiftly set his teacup aside and ran for the door. Sure enough, there were quite a few individuals with name tags attached to matching uniforms boxing up books and loose papers and placing equipment on dollies they were wheeling not only out of the labs in question but the building entirely.
"Hey, watch it! That's delicate!" Hiro's voice came form his lab, proving he was with the movers in there but apparently unable to stop them.
Supervising the people moving Tadashi's lab was an older man about Aunt Cass's age. He looked like he was of Asian and Caucasian descent not unlike Tadashi himself and, while he was a bit overweight, he moved with speed and ease as he helped balance a man who'd picked up something far to heavy for him to lift. It suggested he had a pretty solid layer of muscle under the, well, nerdy exterior. Aside from the brief help, he was mostly standing there observing the move rather dispassionately while giving brisk instructions. His eyes widened at the sight of Tadashi, however.
"Ah! Mr. Hamada! My apologies about the abruptness of this. The board will no doubt send you an email some time today about the decision they came to earlier this morning, but I thought it prudent to get this done before the media or any intellectual thieves came snooping about, and they will once word gets around," the man stated, giving Tadashi a polite bow.
"I... You're kicking us out?" Tadashi asked plaintively. The man looked surprised.
"What? Oh, no! Not at all! I'll admit it had been brought up in the board meeting but it was fairly unanimous to keep you and your brother on as students. No, we're moving you to the Lovelace Laboratory. They're smaller but the building is much more secure and it's location would make it harder for potential kidnappers or thieves to reach it without being noticed."
"Oh. Uh, thank you?" Tadashi replied uncertainly, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Just doing my job as your new advisor. Oh! Forgive my rudeness. I haven't even introduced myself to you yet. Dr. Kojiro Ito, but you can call me Professor Ito," the man replied, holding out a hand for Tadashi to shake. Tadashi took it but he'd paled at the name and looked rather like a fish out of water.
"Kojiro Ito? As in, the Ito of the Ito Ishioka Robotics Laboratory? I thought you were in New Yoko!"
"I was," Professor Ito responded with an easy grin, "But SFIT bribed me with a bigger paycheck, a promise to consider my Mary for entry even outside of the normal time-frame for applying, and a glimpse of the work of the students I'd be mentoring in robotics in order to lure me over. I must admit, you and your brother's work is most impressive."
"Wow," Tadashi breathed before shaking himself. "Um, thank you!"
"Tadashi! What's going on?!" Hiro demanded as he followed the movers out of his lab.
"They're moving us to a different lab. The, uh, Lovelace, right?" Tadashi explained, glancing at his new professor for confirmation. Professor Ito nodded.
"Huh. I thought that was limited to professors," Hiro stated with a frown.
"It was, but most of the people with space designated there agreed to give it up in order to work in the student labs or in the Kobayashi building, which has better parking access anyway," Professor Ito explained, "In fact, we ended up with so much space that we're going to open up a few recs for other students just to keep the group atmosphere SFIT prides itself on. Your friends might consider applying for a lab change."
Looks were exchanged before Hiro, with a suspicious expression, asked, "What are you saying, exactly?"
"I'm saying you don't seem to realize how much people talk on campus. I don't know if you just made the Big Heroes' tech or if you're the Big Heroes yourselves and I don't care as long as you're not misusing university resources. But a lot of people do care. And while putting you all in your own building is a bit of a risk, the fact is half of your classmates and teachers convinced themselves you aren't the Big Heroes and the other half is pretty certain that's exactly who you are. At this point? Better safe than sorry."
"Oh."
"Tell you what, the movers look like they're done here. How about I show you your new labs? Perhaps your friends' new labs as well if they put in the requisition forms."
"Uh, sure, Mr..."
"Ah. Professor Kojiro Ito. A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Hamada."
"Ito?!"
It took a bit for them to get to the Lovelace Laboratory and not only because it was literally smack-dab in the middle of campus. But, despite its size in comparison to their previous lab, everything was state-of-the-art and latest-edition. Even the security, which had been pretty impressive at the old lab, was noticeably higher tech. The team was given a brief, whirl-wind tour of the place, including Hiro and Tadashi's new labs and the impressively large break room that took up half of the open lower level. Then Professor Ito and the movers were gone and Hiro and Tadashi were left to reconfigure their lab space.
"Huh," Fred said.
"What?" Gogo asked.
"Does anyone else feel like this is Act One wrapping up? You know, where the characters and location are finally established and the real plot is just beginning to rear it's head?"
"What plot?" Wasabi asked. Fred shrugged.
"I dunno. It just kind of feels that way to me."
"Hey, guys!" Hiro called out, leaning over the railing of the floor above, "Come check this out! Aside from the locked lab on the end, the place is pretty much empty. If you put in the lab transfers, we'll practically have the lab to ourselves!"
"Really?"
"Cool."
"Sounds great!"
"I'll have to get my chair moved over. You guys definitely need a mascot cheering you on.," Fred added. And while a part of him was insisted the other shoe was yet to drop and the plot was about to rear its ugly head, he shoved it aside. They were superheroes. As long as they stuck together, there wasn't anything they couldn't handle.
"Dibs on this one!"
"Hey! That's the one I was going to ask for!"
Well, eventually.
Notes: Well, that's the end of this story, and the set-up for the next... several. It's going to be fun.
What Baymax says when he hugs Tadashi is true about agitation, but should be used with caution. Some agitated individuals don't respond well to hugs for various reasons, for example if they are anxious about being hemmed in or don't like being touched. Even the ones who do respond well to being hugged won't respond well to a stranger; the hug has to be from someone trusted. Pacing, of course, is also a common sign of agitation but it can also be helpful as it gives the agitated person a sense of control over themselves.
Kyodai can mean either 'huge' or 'brothers' depending on what kanji are used. The second meaning is often used by the Yakuza. In other words, his name is a bit of a pun.
Professor Kojiro Ito is actually Professor Iosama from the comics which means the Mary he mentions is Marys Iosama, also from the comics. I just gave them more realistic names much like the movie does for the rest of the cast. The fact the closest real Japanese family name to Iosama is Ito and the lab is the Ito Ishioka Robotics Laboratory just amused the hell out of me.
Kobayashi is a very common Japanese last name, which is part of why I risked using it as the name for a building on the SFIT campus. Someone with that last name is bound to have done something with tech in the BH6 world. Star Trek fans might recognize it as the name of a ship. As for the lab the team is now slowly moving into, Ada Lovelace - who was the daughter of Lord Byron - invented computer programming before computers even physically existed. Mad props to the lady. As for why I moved the team to a different lab, well part of it is plans for future stories but the rest is that there's no way what the team is doing is going to be under everyone's radar. Which doesn't mean there aren't people out there who will help them keep it private rather than public. And after the fire and Callaghan's actions, the last thing the university would need is the bad publicity that would occur if a supervillain got a hold of the team's tech or one of the Hamada brothers. Thus, the move to a more private and secure lab.
