WOOOOOOOO boy! I've been waiting to write this one, but I wanted to wait until Season 2 gave us some info on Liv Amara. But then they dumped a whole bunch of episodes on us and I had to wait until they went on hiatus.
This is going to be a heavy story, so you have been warned. Also, this will probably never match up to what the show will do. But as I said, it's fanfiction, so who cares?
Again, I am so sorry for being away. Writer's block again and health issues, but mostly because it was my brother's birthday and we had lots of people staying around for it.
Characters:
Hiro X Karmi
Liv Amara
The Gang + Baymax
Chris
The Mutants - Bessie, (Others mentioned) Mr. Sparkles (Mayoi) and High Voltage
Warning: Violence/Blood/Some torture and swearing, deep feelings ahead!
Disclaimer: I don't own Big Hero 6, sadly!
Hiro stared at his computer screen, sometimes glancing at his notes. He was silent, except for him tapping his desk in annoyance. He studied every single browser he had opened, all the same topic, all the same research, all the same interviews and facts about Liv Amara. But he couldn't find anything that was real proof. Yes, he found certain phrases or dates to be suspicious, but he knew he couldn't go on a hunch.
She was adored by the public, showered with praise and she helped them in return, donating animals, giving certain people special treatment and always had a smile on. People thought they could rely on her, especially after she 'saved the day'. But Hiro knew the truth, along with his friends. They had tangled with a smart villain before, even tricked at times to think he and others were something else. Trina, who Hiro thought was just a cool teenager, struggling to bot fight. Callaghan, who everyone once looked up to for wisdom. Obake the tricky one. They hadn't seen what he normally looked like until after he tricked Honey for the book. Even then, he always found a way to trick them.
Hiro closed his eyes, the thought of his previous villain lingered in his mind. He was a damaged man making dangerous decisions. He views on what was right and wrong had gone out the window long ago. But in the end, he wanted to do something for the world and himself. He wanted to rebuild things, upgrade them and feel important. But his mind wasn't stable and his ideas became dark. Liv, on the other hand, she doesn't appear to want to help the city. Baymax didn't report anything wrong with her, so she had a stable mind with a dark personality. She knew what she was doing is all wrong, while Obake had some kind of moral to him.
Hiro sighed and closed his browser, his eyes drifting over his notes. She made him scared, but not like Obake, or even Callaghan. He knew why they did it and in some ways understood. Liv, he had no idea why and showed no reason why.
His eyes then landed on a piece of evidence. The chip found on Nedd Ludd. He knew Liv was using some kind of chips to cause the mutations, but this one was different, because it wasn't her design. It was Karmi's. He had recognized it when he picked it up and his heart sunk, questioning why Liv would use her design. Was she planning to frame Karmi or was this design easier to use for quick mutations?
Picking it up, he brushed a finger along the purple chip, careful not to damage it. Liv was using Karmi in more ways than one. Hiro had hoped she would just have Karmi working with the other interns who Hiro suspected knew nothing on what was happening, Liv using them to do the basic company jobs and research. But Liv had stayed close to Karmi and Hiro could see why. Karmi was gifted in bio-tech, was young and looked up to Liv, eager to learn from her. However, Karmi was also vulnerable and could be used easily, no doubt something Liv picked up on while working with her.
Hiro closed his eyes, remembering the night Knox had escaped his cage. Liv was disciplining Karmi when she saw her cure. The look in Liv eyes, they seemed surprised and proud, but Hiro had noticed that cold glaze over them. She was not happy, but couldn't break her facade over it. Which is why she set Knox on the two in hopes to have it end up in an 'accident', something Hiro figured out later on.
That was something else that scared Hiro. When the boy became a priority for Obake, the man did what he could to make sure the boy lived, despite how much Hiro fought back. When he was kidnapped, Obake just seemed excited in a sickly manner, eager to teach Hiro and stating they would do great things together. But what really got the young boy was how, even after they ruined his plans, he let Baymax go to save him, wanting me to know he still thought we could do great things together. Obake saw worth in him, respected Hiro and didn't want him to go to waste. He could have gotten revenge by not letting Baymax go, but he didn't. He didn't want Hiro to die.
Liv on the other hand. Karmi was useful, but she's already proven she would kill her if she gets the chance. When Karmi made the cure, she became a threat to Liv and she quickly tried to deal with it. But it didn't work and Hiro didn't know if she would try again or wait and keep using Karmi. She didn't care who lived or died, as long as her plans and herself are safe. His friend was endangered, but he knew she wouldn't listen without the proof, despite what Hiro has told her.
He bit his tongue and placed the chip down, hair falling over his eyes. He can't let her get hurt, or worse, killed. He needed a way to get Karmi out of the fight before it was too late. But that was easier said than done. They might be on better terms, but Karmi would do anything for Liv. That blind nativity over an idol was all too familiar to him.
"Hiro, you seem upset." Baymax spoke suddenly, snapping Hiro out of his thoughts.
The boy spun around in his chair, brushing the hair off his face. "I just don't know what else to do. There's nothing I can find that proves what Liv is doing."
"You seemed more frustrated towards Karmi's chip." The bot added, lifting a finger to gesture to the chip.
Hiro's eyes followed and he sighed softly, picking the chip up. "I guess I was thinking about Karmi. I don't want her to be a part of this for her own safety, but I don't know how to get her to stay away."
"You could be honest with her." Baymax commented, head tilted.
Hiro placed the chip down and stood from his chair, grabbing a notepad and flicked through it. "You already saw me try and do that. I have no proof and she'll take Liv's words over mine."
"You do have proof." Baymax pointed out, once again pointing to the chip. "You never told her about it."
Hiro stopped but didn't look at the chip. "No, I can't." He looked at his friend. "Even if she believed me, she would be angry or upset with herself that Liv used her creation to hurt people."
The bot blinked and looked at the chip, then back at Hiro. "Is this one of those 'Lying so not to hurt someone' moments?"
"Suppose so." the boy answered, plopping onto his bed.
Baymax stared at him and waddled over, patting his head. "You should sleep on it. Rest will help clear your mind."
Hiro looked up at him, resting against the giant marshmallow. He looked down at his notes and huffed quietly, tossing it on his desk, not caring for the mess.
"Ya, you're right." He rubbed his eyes and kicked his shoes off. Sleep did sound good and he had basically plastered the name Liv Amara throughout his mind, so he needed to clean that out of his system.
"Good, I will be charging if you need me." He said, before waddling over to his charging port. He deflated and folded himself as it covered him, his eyes closing.
Hiro watched with a light smiling. When Baymax was in his pod, it was oddly cute. Then again, anything he tended to do was cute. He laid down, sliding under his blanket as he reached to turn off his bedside light. His eyes caught the shine coming off the purple chip and he stared at it. His gut curled in on itself, feeling guilty. But he quickly shook his head and switched off the light, laying down and tried to ignore the item.
He snuggled into his blankets, rubbing his face against his pillow as he thought about other things, happier things, like Mochi or the latest ping pong match he had with his friends. It distracted him and he finally found himself asleep and into the world of dreams, but they were not going to be kind tonight…
Hiro opened his eyes to darkness. At first, he thought he just couldn't open his eyes. He looked down to see his hands, moving them around and stretching his fingers. It wasn't his eyes, he really was in a black void. So he took a few steps forward, glad to see he could still move.
He glanced over his shoulder often as he scanned the area, but there truly was nothing to be seen. So he cupped his hands around his mouth and spoke.
"Hello?" He called out, voice echoing back at him.
No reply came, as he expected. But hearing the echo was strange, given he didn't think there were any walls and roof for the sound to bounce off, it just looked endless. But as he last echoes vanished, he heard something behind him, heavy breathing like an animal, huffing down his back. Questioning how he didn't feel it before, he spun around and felt his heart sink.
A slim but massive mutant stood behind him. From a quick glance, it looked like a mashup of a fox, cat and snake. Unlike most of the mutants, this one looked fairly pleasing to look at, almost mystical but also dangerous. Hiro had to tilt his head up to look at its eyes, those sharp brown eyes looked familiar.
He didn't get a moment to think as it raised a claw, revealing it's sharp claws and swiping at him. He reacted and flung himself back, somehow quite far, as if gravity wasn't that strong unless you were standing. It dove at him, swiping more and even going in for a bite, each time Hiro would dodge, flying about and landing around the place. It kept pushing him back, but there was no dead end and so end to these attacks.
"Woah!" He dodged once more, its claws narrowly dodging his eyes.
He slid to a halt and looked at it, eyes narrowing as he felt a sudden burst of anger and coldness within himself. He straightened himself, his face sharpening as he stood his ground and yelled.
"Enough!" His voice boomed, somehow echoing again.
The beast stopped in its tracks and stared at him in shock, ears lowering and tail tucked in. It whimpered in fear and shuffled back a bit. Then its eyes reflected the faint pink glow coming off of Hiro.
The boy blinked in confusion and raised his hands, seeing the same pink light highlighting them. He knew what it was and his eyes widen.
"No…" He whispered in disbelief, hands raising as they covered his face.
"Why deny it, boy?..." A cold yet soft spoke behind him, making him freeze as a hand was placed on his shoulder. "It suits you."
Hiro flicked his head around to met with Obake's eyes and glowing face. He looked the same as how Hiro remembered him. Calm, collected, stiff but held a smile on his face. A proud look shone in his eyes. The two were matching, both with half of their face glowing pink. Obake's was steady, but Hiro's kept flickering in panic.
Hiro slipped out of Obake's grip and stumbled back, refusing to take eyes off the man, but ended bumping into the beast. He looked to it and it cowered back more, suddenly so terrified of the small boy and the light he let off. Hiro reacted in fear and covered his face again, breathing rapidly.
"No, no, no…" He murmured, he didn't understand what was happening.
Then another voice came into the picture and their words nearly broke Hiro.
"Come on, Karmi, we have business to take care of…" Liv Amara echoed.
The beast stood on all four legs and hurried over to Liv. Hiro dropped his hands to his side and looked at them. The creature's long brown hair, sharp brown eyes and colour pattern was all related to Karmi, but he couldn't believe it.
Shaking his head, he felt his knees become weak but he didn't fall. "No...you...you mutated her?"
Liv stroked Karmi's hair, giving a dark grin to Hiro. "She was more...useful this way."
She then turned away, seemingly forgetting about Hiro and started to walk into the darkness, Karmi prowling behind her new master. Hiro snapped out of it and tried to run forward and call out to Karmi, but Obake's hands held him in place. Hiro's face was now flashing brightly with fear. He looked up at Obake in horror and confusion.
"Don't worry, they're not worth our time when we're done with things…" The man chuckled quietly.
Hiro's eyes watered lightly as his mind shattered. He finally fell to his knees, eyes closing as he blacked out.
Hiro flung himself to sit up in his bed. Nearly crying out but only gasped, taking a deep breath before panting. His eyes darted around the place, rapidly blinking to fix his vision. He was afraid he was still stuck in that nightmare, but it became clear he was back to reality when he saw Baymax in his pod, charging as Hiro laid in his bed in the real world.
He raised a shaky hand and brushed it across his forehead, feeling the sweat. His body was warm, blood pumping and all around felt sick to the stomach. He shoved his sheets off of him, body calming to the cool air that instantly stuck to him. Using breathing techniques Baymax taught him, he laid back down and stared at the ceiling, trying to steady his breathing and wait for his body to cool down.
He eventually got the breathing down, but he was still a little too warm and his throat hurt, dry from all the heavy breathing. He glanced over at his health care bot, making sure he wasn't awake, before silently slipping off of the bed and tiptoeing to the bathroom. He wasn't going to wake up Baymax over a nightmare. He uses to, but they never seemed to go away and sometimes Baymax didn't understand the meaning behind some of them, so it wasn't worth talking to him, plus, he didn't want to wake up his Aunt from the talking again.
He slid into the bathroom, but only turned on the lamp in it, not daring to blind himself with the bathroom light. Turning on the tap, he cupped his hands to catch some water, washing his face with it before catching some more to drink. His body was finally calmed, but his mind was overworking.
Resting his hands on the counter, he stared down at the water as it swirled down the drain, eyes soft as he thought over the nightmare. One part, he was familiar with. He raised his head and looked at himself in the mirror. He was a mess, hair even more of a reck, bags under his eyes and skin pale, but that might have been the lighting. He then raised a hand and covered one side of his face, the half that had been glowing in the dream. He stared at himself, a sorrow look in his eyes and he hesitantly lowered the hand, somehow afraid that it would start glowing.
The second part with Liv and Karmi, that was new but he understood why. He worries over the new villain and the situation with his friend was on his mind and the talk before bed didn't seem to help. Now, this nightmare made it worse.
Brushing his hair back with his hand and drying his face with a towel, he switched the lamp off and exited the bathroom. He shuffled towards his bed, head hung low. As he reached his bed and lifted a blanket, his eyes locked onto the chip. He stood there, just staring at it.
Lowering the blanket and reaching over to the chip. He shuffled across the room again, past Baymax and stopping just on the outside of Tadashi's side of the room. Hiro stared at it, eyes drifting over it. It was still clean, organized and full of his brother's things, the same as how they've left it for months. Hiro rarely stepped into it, afraid he's ruin the place just by being in it. But when he did step into it, it was always at times when he deeply wishes he had his brother to ask a hard question to, like tonight.
He slid over to the end of the bed, staring down before taking a seat on it. The moment he sat, he could smell Tadashi's scent still on everything, even if it had faded a little over time. He relaxed to it and closed his eyes, allowing himself to picture Tadashi right next to him. It comforted him in desperate times, remember his brother's wisdom and love, two things she still really needed.
Biting his lip, he opened his eyes and looked at the tiny item in his hands. It reflected a little of the moonlight that peaked through the curtains. Fiddling with it, he looked up at the roof, taking a moment to think and question himself. He pleaded to know what he should do, how to prove Liv is the villain, save the city and keep Karmi safe. He hoped that, somehow, his brother could send a sign to him on what to do. But it wasn't going to happen, he had to make the choice himself, but being in his brother's half of the room allowed to hear Tadashi's voice clearer, allowing Hiro to almost think what he brother would advise.
However, he already knew the answer, as his creation already said it to Hiro. Glancing at Baymax's pod, he remembered what he said. He has the chip and he can show Karmi, even if it hurts her. It's better than her dead in the end.
Looking at the chip as he flicked it around in his hands, his eyes narrowed in determination and he looked up. He had to do something before it was too late, even if it didn't well.
Granville wrote down the final formula on the board just as the bell rang. She was slightly surprised, having felt like time went faster than normal. But she shrugged it off and looked to her students.
"We will continue tomorrow, so do not throw away those notes, I will not rewrite what I've done today." She informed them, hearing small groans coming from the back, making her smirk.
Hiro shoved all his things into his bag and looked to Karmi's desk. She was packing away her things neatly and briefly looked at her phone. He slid a hand into his pocket, feeling the chip. When she stood and exited the room, he took a sharp breath and hurried out the door. Baymax greeted him, having waited outside the class, and the two followed Karmi.
Hiro wanted to wait until there were no other students. He had hoped she would go to her private lab, but she seemed to be heading to the library, much to annoyance. Thankfully, he was aware of a short cut she took that barely anyone used, so he had a chance.
When she turned the corner into the shortcut hall, he bolted around to stop her before she left. Luckily, he saw no one in the hall with them, so he took his chance as Baymax caught up to him.
"Karmi, wait!" He called out.
She stopped in her tracks and turned, a puzzled look on her face. "Ah, yes?"
He came to a stop right in front of her, straightening his body and trying to not look nervous. "I just wanted to...thank you, for the mayoi thing. You really did help."
She smirked. "It was pretty epic."
"I more thankful that you gave me a chance to talk to you about those things." He rubbed the back of his head. "Even trying to find a cure."
She waved her hand. "Should be thanking Liv for that one."
His face fell slightly, losing his smile. "About that…"
A frown formed on her face as she crossed her arms, already knowing what he was going to say. "Are you still on about this whole 'Liv Amara is the one creating the monsters' thing? Hiro, you saw she saved the day and I found no traces of Sycorax creating the mayois."
Hiro bit his lip, having expected this hostile version of her. "Look, I get that, but it's still suspicious. I don't mean to repeat myself, but she seemed to repeat how long it would take to cure Knox, dodged all my questions, just happens to have a cure for the mayois and always seems to be around when monsters appear. Even you have to see something is wrong with that"
"Coincidences happen. I could say the same about Big Hero 6, but everyone knows they would never do that, same with Liv. She wants to help people. There are reasons behind all of those suspensions, Hiro. She didn't want people fretting over Knox's condition, dodged all your questions because they're dumb and could create false rumours, the cure for the mayois came from her research on fungal removal and Sycorax are the best people to deal with the monsters." Karmi listed off, practically ready to leave.
"I understand that, but it's still all doesn't add up." He fiddled with his fingers and glanced away briefly. "Look, Karmi, I know what it's like to look up to someone so much and think they can do no wrong, but that shouldn't blind you from the possibility that they are a bad person."
Karmi paused and looked away too. She was very aware of who he was talking about. The man he looked up to and ended up killing his brother and using his creation, that would be a hard thing to live with.
He gave a soft expression, thinking he might be getting somewhere. "I know you want proof and I've tried finding it, but she knows what she's doing. I've seen people like this before, people who, if they wanted to, could make themselves disappear without a trace. But I'm sure she is behind it all, even if nothing says it does."
She eyes locked back onto him. "You can't base it all around a gut feeling. You need evidence for experiments."
Hiro shook his head. "I'm aware but this isn't science, this is about real people."
"Then it would be the law, which you also need proof on." She huffed, tightening her grip on the books she held close to her chest.
"Sometimes the law can't help. They could barely do anything against all the other villains. Noodle Burger Boy, Momakase, High Voltage and now these mutants. That's what Big Hero 6 does and yet you're not calling out on them." Hiro pointed out, failing to keep himself calm.
She narrowed her eyes. "Because those are different problems. I agree, sometimes the law is wrong or can't fix those problems. But they are well-known criminals and prove to be bad people because they steal and hurt others. Liv hasn't done that, so you can't claim she is like them."
Hiro took a deep breath, knowing anger would not solve this problem. "And what if she is like them, just working behind the scene. Like the man who tried blowing up the city. If we let her keep going then she'll do something so bad, the city might not be able to handle it."
"You still don't have the proof!" She argued. She closed her eyes and huffed before straightening. "Liv is kind, understanding and helps people. She does what she can for the city and loves the people that live in it. She brings hope, she brings life, she brings knowledge." Her eyes fall as she looked down. "She sees the talent in people, even when they don't see what they're worth." She paused, letting those words sink in, before snapping her head back up. "Everyone but you seem to see that and I just can't understand why."
She flicked around, ponytail whipping the air as she began to walk away in a hurry. Hiro's eyes widen and he reacted, grabbing her hand. It succeeded in making her stop, freezing her in shock and fright. He swallowed, his other hand trailing to his pocket as he pulled out the chip.
"Hiro wishes to be honest with you." Baymax finally chimed in, but this seemed to be the wrong move.
Karmi ripped her hand out of Hiro's out hand, causing the boy to stumble back. She looked at him with anger, but he could see how upset she really was, so he hid the chip in his hand, covering it with his fingers.
"Honest with me? Then why don't you tell me the truth as to why you actually hate me working with Liv! I thought it was just jealousy, but now I see it's something else! So, what is it? Do you have some kind of disgusting view on Liv or biotech? Do you hate how she ignored you in favour of me? Or do you just hate all of this because I finally have a life outside of you and this stupid rivalry?!" She ranted, fists tight as she stepped back.
Hiro's arms were raised in front of himself as he stepped back once more. He had never seen Karmi so angry. Yes, she would get mad with him over petty things or actually problems he's caused, but this was deeper. He wasn't sure what to say, but his mouth opened before he noticed.
"No, it's none of those things…" He whispered, voice almost cracking.
She stared, still angry and upset, but had a look of confusion and disbelief. "Then what, what is it?..."
He stared into her eyes with gentle eyes, full of concern but also fear. He let out his most genuine response. "To keep you safe…"
Her eyes widen and she stepped back this time, hands shaking a little. She couldn't understand what he was saying, like he knew something she didn't know. But she didn't want to believe it, she couldn't. She didn't know how to respond, so she spun around on her heels and dashed off down the hall, wiping her eyes from the tears that threatened to spill.
Hiro had raised a hand out to stop her, but he couldn't bring himself to. He failed to talk her out of it and only ended up hurting her. Cursing to himself, he sighed and looked down at his hand, opening it to reveal the chip in his palm.
Baymax looked down at him. "You could still show her it…"
Hiro's eyes narrowed, a cold expression on his face. He quickly pocketed the chip and turned to the other direction. He had already caused enough damage and the chip would make it worse, he was sure of it. Besides, he had a different plan.
Striding down the halls with a purpose, Baymax waddled behind. "Your blood level is elevating."
"I know, bud...I know." He murmured, still holding a cold, sharp gaze.
"Ok, my turn! What has a head, a tail, is brown, and has no legs?" Fred questioned his robot pal.
Mini-Max, who was currently sitting on Honey Lemon's lap, threw a finger up into the air as he chimed in. "A penny!"
Fred groaned. "Ow man, you always get them so easily."
"Then I will give one to you." The bot flipped off of Honey and landed on next to Fred, posing as he spoke. "I'm one of five, I'm not alive. The one who sent me forth became king, The one who received me died. What am I?"
"Ahhh…" Fred stared at his friend, trying to process the words.
"That's a little hard." Honey tilted her head, thinking as well.
Wasabi had joined in too, but Gogo sat and watched, chewing her gum like normal. They had been waiting for Hiro, who had texted them all saying they had to meet up after school, at Fred's house, to talk about something urgent, though he was somehow late to his own meeting.
Fred then clicked his fingers. "I know it! It's the five stones from David and Goliath."
"Corrreccctttttt!" Mini-Max beamed, flipping on the spot.
"Wow, Freddy. How'd you get that?" Honey Lemon questioned, genuinely curious.
Fred leaned back against his couch, smiling lightly. "I remember doing a paper on that story during my English studies. The riddle matched the story."
Wasabi chuckled lightly and clapped his hands. "Nice going."
"I always forget you have an English degree…" Gogo muttered and glanced away.
Mini-Max then shot his head up, twisting it like an owl to face the bedroom door. "Hiro has arrived." He launched himself over to the door as it opened.
Hiro walked past Heathcliff, who had opened the door for him. "Thanks, Heathcliff."
"Anytime, Mr Hamada." The posh man replied.
Baymax waddled behind but stopped at Heathcliff. Knowing already what the bot would do, he held up his fist for Baymax, who bumped it with his own.
"Balalala." The bot wiggled his fingers upwards.
Heathcliff simply nodded and exited, closing the door behind Baymax and leaving the teens to talk. Baymax went back to Hiro's side, who was already shuffling through his bag.
"I'm sorry I'm late, I had to pick up something…" His voice didn't sound right. Like he was tired, but mentally than physically.
Honey noted this first. "Is everything alright, Hiro?"
Hiro seemed to pause in thought before speaking. "It's not." He stood, pulling out a green and amber coloured chip and looking to his team. "More and more mutants are appearing and putting more people in danger. Knox was hard enough, but now with the others running rampant through Liv's orders, along with all their different abilities, it'll become a problem that I don't think we can keep up with."
Wasabi sighed softly, crossing his arms. "We're doing all we can."
Hiro narrowed his eyes and walked up to Fred's TV, plugging in the chip he carried. "No, we're not…"
Once the TV registered the chip, the screen lite up showing blueprints. The others gazed at it, taking a moment before realising it was Sycorax. Some files were missing, like the hidden underground labs.
Gogo raised a brow and turned to Hiro. "Why do you have these? And how?"
Hiro glanced away, looking a little ashamed. "Once when I was...visiting Karmi at her workplace, I may have stolen some files when she wasn't looking." He looked back, speaking before the others say anything. "But I got them because we are going to sneak into Sycorax tomorrow night and find the evidence we need against Liv Amara. Ending this before it's too late.
Their eyes widen as they all stood up from their seats, looking to their leader in confusion and shock. Gogo slid over to Hiro, gazing down at him.
"You're not serious…" She huffed.
"But I am." Hiro retorted, crossing his arms with a serious tone in his voice.
Honey cleared her voice and stepped forward. "I know you're worried, Hiro, but so are we. We want to stop this but going straight to Sycorax isn't how we should go about it.
"I'm not saying we just storm into the place. I'm saying we sneak in, without being noticed, and find the proof we need." Hiro explained.
"And if we get caught?" Wasabi chimed in.
"Sycorax doesn't have the most amazing security system ever, I was able to hack into the secret lab without a problem. I can handle that part. Fred has his camo suit and I can change the ultra armour to be stealthy. We'll be in and out before anyone even notices us." Hiro looked up at the screen, studying the blueprint.
Fred glanced at his friends, a soft look on his face before he spoke. "I agree with Hiro." That caught everyone's attention. He slid off the couch and stood. "We keep playing the long game, then we might not be able to stop Liv. She could do some extreme damage, like Obake. But if we take a risk and make this direct attack, well, ah, direct sneak, then we could stop her before it gets worse. Besides, villains barely ever expect the heroes taking risks like this."
Hiro smiled lightly at his friend, happy someone understood his idea. The others weren't sure yet, but knew where the two were coming from.
"This could cause more problems…" Honey mumbled, gripping her handbag lightly.
Hiro looked at her and sighed softly. He placed a hand over her hand as he spoke. "Believe me, I know. But we can't keep sitting back and letting her win. She has the entire city wrapped around her finger and we're the only ones who can see past it, so we're the only ones who can do anything about it. We have to stop her before she hurts others, or even mutants them. What if she uses an innocent? Like a random bystander or...a worker of hers, one that doesn't know what's going on."
Honey looked to him, listening to his words, along with sensing something wrong with him. He was implying something, but she couldn't point it out.
Hiro pulled his hand away. "I know this risks all of us, but I'm willing to risk myself for this city and the people in it."
Fred grinned and hopped over, pulling Hiro against him with an arm. "I'd risk myself for this city too."
Gogo shook her head lightly, but couldn't help the smile that crept onto her face. "Well, I can't let you dorks risk yourselves alone."
Honey's worried expression faded, now holding a proud look on her face. "You can't leave your chemical behind."
Wasabi chuckled and raised his hands. "Or your laser man."
Hiro smirked, gazing at each of them. "Then let's do this. For us, for San Fransoyko!"
"For San Fransoyko!" The all cheered, even Baymax and Mini-Max in the background.
Fred stuck to the glass, gazing down at the entrance. He had no fear of being spotted, for he was invisible with his new suit. While it wasn't as strong as his ultra armour, it was more prepared for a stealth mission. Plus, Hiro had giving it some ultra armour like upgrades so he could keep up with them, along with if they run into any of the mutants.
On the ground below, he saw two scientists exit the building. He couldn't pick up on what they were saying, but it appeared they were waving each other a goodnight before parting ways. It was then that most of Sycorax's lights went out, indicating that many of the workers had gone home and the place with closed. All that to worry about now was security, some late night workers and even Liv herself.
"Lights out, guys…" Fred murmured into his comm.
Hiro spoke back from his location. "Alright, once I disabled the biosensing system, you can sneak in and find Liv's office. Gogo will meet you there once her area's cleared"
Mini-Max flew over to Fred and hopped onto his shoulder. "The entrance is clear of any humans and/or creatures."
Fred patted his head. "Nice job, pal."
Hiro chimed in again. "You're good to go."
Fred smirked and let Mini-Max into his suit, allowing him to be invisible too. "I hear you loud and clear."
He immediately climbed down the many windows, hopping down to the entrance. The moment he reached them, they unlocked for him, thanks to Hiro. Quickly, he entered and closed the door, making sure not to make any sound. The doors locked themselves again, so there was no going back now.
"Let's see what Miss Amara keeps hidden in her office…" Fred scowled, ready to end this woman's plans.
Wasabi and Honey Lemon hanged by another window, as it led to a room with an elevator. Wasabi had his blades on as he waited, Honey's hand hovered over her purse.
Hiro's voice spoke up. "The security on the upper levels is offline for now, make your move and get on that elevator. It'll take you to the cargo and shipment bay."
At that, Wasabi cut through the window, not only breaking it open, but melting it slightly from the intense heat. He moved in, Honey followed behind as she used her purse to produce the right chemical, fixing the window back together and making it seem as good as new.
"Good luck on your end." Honey whispered to Hiro.
"Thanks, you too. I'll contact you all once I've gotten to the lowest floor" And with that, Hiro went offline.
Honey looked to Wasabi, who had already opened the elevator doors. She jogged over and joined him. When the doors closed, a level had already been selected. For now, they wait until the reached the right floor.
Hiro pulled away from the open wires, closing the panel back over them. He had down all the programming and hacking he needed to do for now. Hopefully, no one has noticed anything. He glanced at Baymax who stood by a garage door that led into the building. It was the only entrance big enough for the robot without causing a problem.
Hiro jogged over and opened the doors. They slid up, making way for both of them. They crept in, making sure that no one was around. No one appeared to be in the room, thankfully, so they rushed it over to the elevator and waited for it to open.
Baymax looked down at Hiro, noting the small boy's stern facial expressions. "Why did you not tell your friends about your worry over Karmi?"
Hiro bit his lip. He knew Baymax would have asked but now of all times? "Because it doesn't matter. What matters is stopping Liv."
"They are worried about you Hiro." Baymax pointed out.
Hiro mumbled to himself before looking at the elevator, it's doors sliding open. As they stepped in and selected the right floor, Hiro spoke. "They always worry…"
Then the doors closed and they felt the elevator drag down each floor. Hiro had open its panel, making sure he had access to the secret floor he had been in before. But as he did, he noticed something.
"Hold up, there's another sub level?" Raising a brow, he took a closer look. "How did I not notice before?"
Baymax was about to answer when he heard a bing. Glancing up at the numbers, he saw they stopped on the third floor. Hiro heard it too and jumped, flicking around as the doors opened. And who did he see rushing into the elevator? None other than Karmi…
The girl was carrying a lot of paperwork and seemed to be in a hurry, probably was working overtime by mistake. However, she had not expected a giant red robot to be taking up the place and ran into his arm.
"Ow!" She yelped, stumbling back.
'Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap. WHY IS SHE HERE?!' Hiro screamed in his head, freezing on the spot.
Karmi rubbed her face before cracking an eye open. Then both her eyes widened as she realized her she was seeing. She pointed at them and looked like she was about to scream. Without thinking, Hiro grabbed her arm and yanked her in, then rapidly clicked the close door button until they finally closed.
Karmi pulled herself up and flicked around, careful not to bump into Baymax again. "Captain Cutie and Red Panda?! Why are you here!?"
Hiro grit his teeth together. He didn't know Karmi would be in work today, mostly because she tended to take Saturdays off. He cleared his voice before putting up his hero facade. "A-ah, yes! It is us."
Karmi beamed, gripping her papers. "And elevator ride with Captain cutie." She squealed. But sadly, that's when it clicked. "Wait…why are you here?"
Hiro faintly cursed to himself before turning back to her. "It's something in secret."
Karmi paused and straighten. "Does Liv know you're here?"
"No, and we want to keep it that way." Hiro informed her, hoping she would just listen.
However, despite her love of Big Hero 6, her love of Sycorax and Liv seemed to nearly be equal. "Hold on, are you sneaking around? Why would you?!"
Hiro fiddled with his fingers. "Look, I really don't want you getting involved and it really is a secret."
Baymax glanced at the numbers on the elevator buttons and noted how the new secret lab's button was glowing. Hiro appeared to be unaware and so was Karmi, who would have wanted to go to the first floor, which they already pasted. He raised a finger to point it out, but Karmi spoke faster.
"But I work here. Is this about Knox, or the Mayois? Because we really have that handled. If you want information on them, you can just ask us." Karmi tilted her head, looking confused.
Hiro rubbed the back of his helmet. "We ah...have reasons to believe Liv Amara is behind the mutants, Miss Karmi."
Her eyes widened in disbelief. She waved her free hand around like crazy. "No, no. You've got this all wrong. Liv Amara is a wonderful person and helps everyone! She would never do this." She then frowned and placed a hand on her hit. "It was Hiro, wasn't it? God, you shouldn't listen to his conspiracy theories, they're all just for attention."
Hiro bit back a sarcastic reply, trying to keep up a professional stance. "Well, yes, he mentioned something. But we also know from experience and have evidence that pinpoints to Liv."
"What evidence?" Karmi questioned.
Hiro glanced away. "Can't share." He closed his eyes for a moment before looking back at her. "Look, I know you see her as an amazing woman, and maybe you are right. But with what we've seen, we need to take a look. If she isn't behind it, then we'll leave and not point the blame on her. But even if there is a chance she could be behind it, we need to take a look at it before more get hurt, do you understand?"
Karmi gazed at him. She wanted to argue, but she didn't know what he had noticed that she hadn't. He seemed confident in his plan and knows he would honour his word of walking away if they found nothing. Still, she didn't want to believe what he was saying. Yet she knew she shouldn't be involved. Clutching her papers closer, she sighed.
"Alright, alright…" She agreed.
Hiro nodded lightly. "Good, now I'll let you get to your floor-"
He didn't have time to, as the doors opened. All three looked out and saw the hidden lab. It looked much like the one that kept Knox, but this one was smaller and less crowded. At the end of the room appeared to be a large pod of some sorts.
Hiro frowned, stepping out of the elevator, gazing around with caution and worry. "What in the?..."
Karmi let go of the breath she had been holding as she followed him. She rubbed her arms, despite wearing her jumper and lab coat, it was extremely cold down here, you could even see your breath sometimes.
Hiro glanced back at her. He was going to order her to leave, but knew her better than that. "Stay close and don't touch anything."
She looked at him, still in shock of the room, and nodded lightly before looking around again. Hiro stalked past many screens, all covered in writing and images. Most didn't match up, all randomly labelled and laid out. But they did appear to be talking about some kind of cure and disease.
"I've never seen this room before. And I thought there was only one secret floor." Karmi mumbled behind him, sticking close.
Hiro felt her brush against him sometimes, but he didn't say anything. In truth, he felt at ease with her close, meaning that he could keep an eye on her and keep her safe if danger arose. It still annoyed him to no end that no matter what he does, she somehow gets involved. He just only hopes she'll make it out without getting in trouble.
It was then that Baymax walked past the both of them, beelining towards the pod. Hiro raised a brow and followed behind. Baymax stopped in front of it, looking it up and down as his eyes indicating he was scanning something.
Hiro walked up the few steps and stood next to his partner. "What's wrong?"
Baymax tilted his head to look down at him. He raised a finger and pointed at the pod. "There is a woman inside."
Hiro's eyes widened. He feared it would be another mutant victim. He pushed in front of his partner and started wiping the fog off the window, but the person inside was not what he expected.
Karmi walked up behind them. She was going to ask Baymax to repeat himself, when Hiro stumbled back, nearly tripping down the stairs, luckily Karmi caught him. She looked over him in a panic, thinking he was hurt. But he only appeared to be in shock, eyes wide with a look as if he saw a ghost,
"Captain, what is it?" She shook him lightly as she questioned him.
Hiro was silent for a moment before mumbling. "How?..." He shook his head and stood back up, moving away from Karmi and to Baymax. "How can it be her?"
Baymax blinked. "It is not her."
"What do you mean?! It's clearly her!" Hiro waved his arms around, shouting in disbelief.
"The DNA does not match up, but are close enough to most likely be her twin." Baymax explained.
"She has a twin!?" Hiro nearly screamed.
Karmi had enough and joined them, squeezing past the both of them. "What's the problem-?" Her eyes landed on the woman in the pod, making her freeze. "...Liv?"
The woman inside looked exactly like Liv, a few minor details different. She appeared to be in a deep sleep, not reacting to anything as the pod monitored her vitals.
"No, not Liv." Baymax corrected Karmi.
"B-but, it looks just like her." Karmi gestured frantically.
Hiro looked at the woman in concern and worry. "More importantly, why she is down here?..."
Baymax looked over the twin. "She appears to be suffering with-"
"None of your business." A sharp, feminine voice spoke up from behind.
The two teens froze to the familiar voice. Karmi was the first to turn, seeing her boss with Chris, both looking angry with a stern expression. Liv's eyes glared at all three of them, so sharply that it could cut anything. Unlike the Knox incident, this appeared to be more serious for her. Her hands were behind her back as she straightened, a small snarl twitching on her face.
Hiro stared at the woman, asleep in a pod. His mind thinking over the finding and having just been caught. But something wasn't adding up. It was then that he noticed a tiny detail on the pod, a note on the vitals.
He then spoke, a dark tone to his voice. "You're not Liv Amara, are you?..."
Karmi looked at Hiro, her face in utter confusion and fear. Liv eyes widen briefly before she huffed lightly, straightening again.
Hiro flicked around. "Who are you then, and why is the real Liv Amara stuck in his pod?"
Liv narrowed her eyes. "You wouldn't understand."
Hiro frowned and stepped down the steps, stopping at the bottom. "Maybe not, but stealing, hurting people and making mutants aren't the solutions."
Liv raised a brow. "As I said, you wouldn't understand any of this. You're just a child trying to play hero. Everything isn't as black and white as it may seem."
Hiro gazed at her, his eyes becoming cold as unwanted memories hovered in the back of his head. "I think I know more than you do."
Karmi finally stepped in, taking a couple of shaky steps until she was next to Hiro. "Liv, you...this can't be true. Please, it can't be."
Liv turned her gaze to Karmi, her eyes softened ever so slightly, but she still looked ready to kill. "You disappoint me again, Karmi. You had a bright future…"
Karmi stepped back a little in fear, sensing the deadly hint behind those words. Hiro raised an arm in front of the girl, having a protective stance.
"Enough of this. I knew you were behind everything and with this, it will prove to the city what you really are." Hiro growled, heart beating fast.
Chris tilted his head, still being eerily silent. He went to step forward, but Liv held up a hand, stopping him.
"Who are they going to believe? Yes, you've helped the city, but so have I. But the difference here, is that one of us isn't on the blacklist of the chief of police." Liv smirked.
And she was right, with the new chief and he anger towards the hero team, the police haven't been helpful towards them. Cruz wouldn't allow the police to check out Sycorax, just because he hated Big Hero 6. But there was a chance he could listen and that maybe someone else will help.
"Maybe they won't believe, but many others will." Hiro stated. "We're witnesses in what you've done, and now all of this? Well, it's just the icing on the cake. With the evidence we can collect just from this room, it's enough to put you behind bars for your whole life."
Liv's smirk vanished as he spoke, her eyes narrowing even more. "...Chief Cruz is right, things would be better off without you…" She raised her hand again.
Chris smirked, cracking his knuckles and neck before pouncing forward with inhuman speed. Hiro could barely react and dodged narrowly, but clumsily. Chris smacked into Baymax and managed to put a dent in the armour. Chris raised a leg and swiped at Hiro and Karmi. The boy reacted again, pulling Karmi back with him before shoving her behind him.
"Get to the elevator, now." He muttered to her.
Her eyes darted around. Her mind was a mess. Everything that happened, it was too quick for her to process. But she understood his orders. She wasn't fit for a fight like this and she could get help if she made it out, so she ducked behind some equipment, making it look like she was hiding, when she was actually sneaking towards the elevator.
Chris went in for a chop. Hiro raised his arm to block, but the force was enough to make him fall. Hiro gasped, already feeling a bruise forming. He narrowed his eyes at Chris, who only looked at him smugly. However, he failed to notice Baymax, who latched onto him and tossed him to the side.
Hiro pulled himself up and looked to his partner. "How is he that strong?"
"He is not a normal human, he has been modified-" Baymax didn't get time to finish as Chris kicked his head, twisting his helmet around.
The man landed, looking to Hiro. "Modified to be the best."
The boy looked to Baymax in shock before turning to Chris in anger. He raised his own fists. Chris dashed forward and struck a couple of times, but Hiro narrowly dodged most of them, getting nicked a few times. Chris was admittedly surprised, unlike most who he fought, Hiro seemed to know how to fight properly, displaying what appeared to be Japanese martial arts. To show off this, the boy dodged again and flipped backwards, smacking Chris in the face with his rather stiff boots.
Chris stumbled back, rubbing his jaw before wiping his mouth. "Impressive…"
Hiro landed back on his feet and straightened. "Unlike the others, I actually learnt how to fight."
Chris smirked, happy for a little challenge, before charging again. The two engaged, but it was clear Chris had the upper hand, getting more strikes on the poor boy. But it wasn't stopping Hiro. Then, when Baymax rejoined the fight again, Hiro used him. Baymax tanked the heavier hits while Hiro slid around the bot, even climbing over him to attack Chris. It provided more of a challenge, facing both an attacker and a defender.
Karmi had been in awe of the fighting, never had she seen Captain Cutie fight so gracefully. But she was also surprised by how Chris could fight, clearly the man wasn't normal and that scared her, given how many times she was around him before.
She snapped herself out of her gaze again and snuck towards the elevator again. She was nearly there. She glanced back at the fight, really not wanting to leave, but she knew she couldn't help here. So she turned back and clicked the opening button.
A hand gripped her wrist suddenly. It was so tight she couldn't get free, already feeling a bruise on her skin. Yelping, Karmi looked up to see Liv, staring down at her with an emotionless expression, but with a tense body. Karmi's eyes widened and she tried yanking her hand away again.
"NO, let go!" She screamed.
Her screams caught Hiro's ears. He looked away from Chris and stopped moving, catching sight of Liv dragging Karmi into the elevator.
"Karmi!" He called out.
Chris took this moment and slid under Baymax and struck the boy from behind, nailing him to the ground. Hiro gasped in pain and struggled to get the superhuman off.
Karmi kept trying to pull away, looking to Captain Cutie for help, but when she saw him trapped as well, she started to panic even more, struggling with her whole body to get away.
"Please, just let me go! Captain, help!" She cried out, her heart beating rapidly as her vision became unfocused from the panic.
"Quiet…" Liv coldly spoke, gripping onto the young girl harder as she closed the doors.
Hiro stared in fright as he saw the two vanish behind the doors, Karmi looking like she was close to tears. He gritted his teeth and pounded a fist onto the floor.
"Red Panda, rocket fist!" He ordered.
Baymax responded quickly and fired it. Chris's eyes widened as the object flew towards him. He held his hands out and caught it, but the impact still flung him back and caused him to crash into a wall. The fist kept him against the wall as he struggled to change its aim.
Hiro knew the fist would stop pushing, so he tossed two magnet discs on both sides of Chris. The man looked puzzled, but as they activated he felt the rocket fist was practically glued to him. With his arms angled awkwardly, he couldn't turn the rocket or move the discs with ease.
Hiro waited for a moment before being sure enough it would hold him for now, even if it meant Baymax lost one fist. He looked to his bot, who had a few dents covering his armour.
"We need to catch up with them." Hiro stressed, not wanting Liv anywhere near Karmi ever again after this.
Baymax turned on his scanner, looking through the walls as he head raised up. "They are on the first floor."
Hiro raised a hand to the side of his helmet, contacting the others. "Guys, Liv knows we're here. She has Karmi hostage on the first floor, we need to save her"
There was a pause before anyone responded. Gogo was the first to finally speak.
"We can't! Me and Fred ran into High Voltage." She grunted, absolutely moving around to dodge attacks.
Honey popped in, heavily breathing. "We got Mr Sparkles and the mayois!"
Hiro's eyes widen in shock, sweat beading down his forehead. So they all had been spotted, how did Liv know they were here?
Chris chuckled lightly, catching Hiro's attention. "Bessie had a way of sensing technology." He lifted his head, grinning madly at Hiro. "Including a certain bot."
Hiro looked back at Baymax, briefly looking down in realisation. He bared his teeth as his fists tightened. He wasn't given up…
Liv threw Karmi out of the elevator as the door opened. The girl tumbled, slipping on the clean floor and collapsing to the floor. She whimpered lightly before steadying herself, pulling herself up to her feet and looking to Liv.
Liv had pulled out her phone and began clicking on something. Karmi just stared in disbelief at her mentor.
"Why?...WHY DO ALL OF THIS!?" Karmi screamed, fuming with anger but held tears in her eyes that threatened to spill.
Liv looked up from her phone, every part of her facade to the world gone. "You didn't have to be a part of this, Karmi. I let it go after you cured Knox, but this...I can't have people like you around anymore."
Karmi felt fear and stepped back a little. "This isn't you...this isn't Sycorax, this isn't what we wanted to do for the world."
Liv stared at her, thinking to himself before looking down, whispering loudly. "That's what she wanted...but not me." She lifted her head back up, deadly determination in her eyes.
Karmi gripped the ends of her sleeves as she took heavy breaths. "So you want to hurt people, want to create monsters and use the city for your own benefits?"
Liv shook her head lightly. "I thought you would understand…"
Karmi blinked. "What?..."
Liv started to take small steps towards the girl, her heels clicking against the hard floor, echoing around the empty room. "I push those who dare step in my way, to stop me from what is right, from what I want." She stopped in front of Karmi, looming over her. "I know you've gone through the same. How people will trip you, hurt you and make you feel like you're worthless, that you'll be nothing if you don't work, work, work. How people say there are others better than you." Her eyes gazed away as she listed off.
Karmi was still confused and scared, but those words were true. Many people have knocked her around, tattered her trust and make her feel worthless. How those bullies hurt her, how her parents push her, how Hiro seems to upstage her.
Liv snapped back at Karmi. "So, when I finally gained that power they said I would never get, I showed them just how it felt. I knock them down, I hurt them, I show them how life isn't fair. No one can stop me anymore, I can do what I wish and I know I'm right, even if others get hurt. Especially those who wronged me." Her voice was laced with venom, experience laid in those words. "You know that all too well, Karmi. Not only are you smart, but you get me, you've been me. I can help you be like me, I can show you true power…"
Liv was hoping to see Karmi think about it, but to her surprise, the girl slid back, her expression now pure anger as she straightened.
"I don't want that! Yes, I've been hurt, yes I've been upstaged, yes I've been judged and pushed but I don't want to hurt people! I want to help people, heal them, guide them, show them a better future. Your offer doesn't promise that, it offers people to fear me than look up to me. I get you want revenge, you want things to go your way, but revenge and manipulation isn't the answer. It makes you no better than those who hurt us." Karmi ranted, hands gesturing her emotions as she explained herself.
Liv narrowed her eyes. "Someone has to punish them…"
"But in a different way…" Karmi's shoulders dropped. "We can teach them, guide them, help them." Karmi gave an understanding expression. "And in some ways, they're like us. Casted away or attacked by the world, so they lash out at others, living in a never-ending cycle of hatred towards themselves and everyone else."
Liv sighed grimly and gazed down at the floor, staring at her reflection. "That's a world no one can make true. I've tried, many have." She looked back up. "Sometimes you have to take the harsher approach to finally get change." She swiftly pulled out her phone again, typing on it. The shutters slid down and covered the windows and doors, sealing them inside. "Even if it means permanently removing the problem…"
Karmi gazed around, feeling a shiver crawl up her spine, fearing the worst. It was then that they heard the elevator ding. Karmi looked behind Liv, but the woman didn't bother turning, even when the doors were smashed open by Baymax. She didn't even flinch, just blinking lightly.
Hiro stood by Baymax, staring daggers at Liv. "Amara!" he called out.
Still, the woman didn't move. Hiro nodded his head to Baymax, ordering him to grab her. The bot sped towards her, reaching out to catch her. Suddenly, a large shadow loomed over Baymax, and before he could react, Bessie tackled him from above, protecting Liv from Baymax's grasp.
Hiro's eyes widen as the two giants tussled. They wouldn't be able to handle Bessie alone, so he prayed his friends would arrive soon. For now, Baymax would have to handle Bessie, he had to take care of something else.
Making sure both Liv and Bessie were distracted during the fight, Hiro rushed to Karmi, making her jump in surprise.
"Are you ok?" He asked, genuinely concerned and praying Liv didn't badly hurt her.
"My wrist hurts, but I'm more worried about all of this…" Her eyes looked to him for answers. "What do we do?"
"I'm going to find a place for you to hide. We'll handle the rest of this." Hiro explained, taking Karmi's hand.
The girl didn't move. "No, I want to help. Please, maybe I can talk sense into her?"
Hiro bit his lip. The harsh truth was there might not be a way to talk her out of it. Unlike Callahan, they knew why he was doing what he was doing. But Liv, no one knew, even though they knew of her twin, Hiro knew the subject wasn't something to be spoken about around Liv.
"Karmi, she won't listen. At least not now. We need to stop her and you can't help in that." The boy insisted.
"How do you know it won't work?" Karmi begged to know, eyes watering lightly.
"Because I've done it before." Hiro nearly choked on those words. He was too stressed to keep trying and explain things or makeup something. "Please, you need to hide, this isn't your fight."
"But it is-" Her eyes widened and she grabbed Hiro by the shoulders. "Look out!" She yanked him down with her.
Baymax was flung over them, cracks all over his armour, some pieces even falling off. Green energy crackled around him. Bessie had managed to shut him off. His body slammed into the reinforced walls, crumpling to the ground with no movement.
Hiro let out an anodizing yell. "NO!" Jumping to his feet, which also pulled Karmi to hers, hoping his friend wasn't gone for good.
He didn't have time to see the damage, as Bessie's shadow loomed over the two. Time seemed to slow down as both teens knew what was about to happen. However, Hiro's reaction time was faster. He shoved his hands forward as he spun around at the same time, pushing Karmi away as he turned to Bessie. The meteor bear had swung its claws. Karmi would be safe, but Hiro had to take the damage. The claws smacked his helmet, cracking the glass and even nearly splitting it into two. The impact flung him back and he flew a good distance before smacking into the ground, sliding across it before coming to a stop.
For a moment, the only thing heard was the sound of Hiro's helmet, smacking and bouncing around on the ground before settling. Karmi had landed on her side, the hard floor hurting her ribs. She ignored the pain and sat up, wincing. Her eyes trailed over to Hiro, at first noting the broken helmet, then the body. He had landed on his chest, face against the floor as his bushy black hair covered him. He was still awake, as he started to move, lifting his head up and Karmi's almost fainted at the face she saw.
Hiro shakily lifted himself up with his arms, nearly collapsing again. Blood stained the floor, dripping off from his forehead and lip. He tasted the blood, the metallic taste stuck in his mouth. It was concerning, but the strike to the head has disoriented him, judging by how unfocused his senses were.
Then, a faint voice spoke. "Hiro?..."
He stiffened, raising a hand and touching his face, finally noticing his helmet was gone. His identity was in the open, and there was nothing he could do. So he simply sighed and brushed his hair out of his face, swallowing and moving to stand on his feet, standing with pride. He may be many things, but he wasn't a coward.
Liv's eyes briefly widened before settling. She squinted and looked at the boy, almost confused as she tilted her head. "So, it was you all along?"
Hiro held back a cough but put on a smirk. "W-what, disappointed?"
Liv frowned and straightened. "A little bit."
"At me...or the f-fact you never n-noticed sooner?" Hiro snorted, holding back a flinch of pain.
Liv scoffed. "Bessie, finish this."
Bessie responded with a roar and charged again. Karmi watched, eyes locked on Hiro as he put on a fighting stance, no matter how painful it would be. The look he gave scared her, because that look meant he was ready to fight to the end, that look meant he was willing to die. She couldn't let that happen.
"NO!" She yanked herself to her feet and tried to sprint over, but Liv grabbed her wrist once more.
"Why defend the boy who taunts you?" She lowered her head to be side by side with Karmi, using her free hand to hold the girl's head in place. "Watch him suffer, after everything he's done to us…"
Hiro weakly rolled, but was unable to dodge the attack entirely, feeling the bear claw at his legs. More blood spilt but he didn't stop, rolling around despite the toll it was taking on him, dodging as much as he could. He just had to stall until the others get here, stall until he could figure out something, stall until a miracle could appear.
"Hiro!" Karmi screamed, but he didn't respond, all focus on the mutant.
Hiro rolled between the bear's legs, popping out on the other side of it. It growled and stomped around and shouted a blast. Hiro ducked, noticing how Bessie was going in for another swipe. He intended to move, but as he straightened his legs, one of them finally gave up on him, so he failed to move.
The strike slammed against his chest and sent him flying. However, he landed against the stairs, a large crack could be heard as his body crashed into them. He felt it, it was in his left arm and left leg, maybe even some ribs. Now he couldn't move, his body refused to, some parts of it weren't able to. He felt his blood pumping beneath the pain, seeping out of his many cuts. He felt the red liquid around, sticky and warm, even the smell was drifting around. His vision was failing on him, black spots appearing. He was losing consciousness, he knew it, but he couldn't stop it. He needed rest, he needed blackout and forget about the pain, even if he might never wake up again.
But as he closed his eyes, he heard someone crying out his name repeatedly, it was hard to understand as his blood pumping was much louder to him. He knew who it was, he didn't need to think hard about it. Even though she was still in Liv's clutches, Hiro was glad he saved her from the hit. He had faith his friends would save her. Even if the boy didn't want to die, at least he knows he saved a friend, along with the city. And if there is an afterlife, he knew someone would be waiting for him. So he allowed a small smile before his eyes shut and he drifted off into the darkness.
Karmi nearly burst out crying when Hiro's body fell limp. She couldn't even see if he was breathing from her location. Yet she still kept crying out.
"Hiro! God no, please, Hiro! Get up, please!" She wailed, still trying to get out Liv's grip.
Liv didn't move or even react, her face was neutral, watching the horror in front of her with no smile, no sadness or even disgust, just neutral.
"Bessie, remove the mess." Liv ordered, no life in her voice.
The mutant stalked towards the stairs where the boy laid, intending to finish him. But Karmi was no allowing that, if there was a chance he was still alive, she would not stand here and let it happen. Without thinking, she raised her foot and slammed it down on Liv's own foot. The older woman yelped in surprise, dropping her phone in the process. Karmi grabbed it and dashed forward and looked at the screen. As she had hoped, it appeared to have controls for the mutant.
Bessie reached the bottom of the stairs, taking a moment to sniff some of the blood. Turning her gaze back to the body, she raised a foot to climb up to him, when she suddenly felt off. Her mind was shutting down and she tumbled around, groaning as she collapsed, the ground cracking to her wait. Karmi pointed the phone at her, having clicked her shut off button.
She kept the phone pointed, panting heavily as her whole body shook. She was scared Bessie was faking it or would wake up easily. But the bear didn't move, laying on the ground with no movement. So Karmi moved her gaze to Hiro, the sight of his damage caused her hands to shake so much, she dropped the phone with bounced on the ground, even getting a small crack across the screen.
Dashing forward, nearly tripping over Bessie and over the stairs, she made her way over to Hiro. She froze at her final steps to him, almost stepping in blood. She looked at him with the widest of eyes, a horrified look on her face. She collapsed to her knees and reached over, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him onto her lap as slowly as she could.
The number of cuts, hits, dents and damage he had taken, it was sickening with someone with such a young face. The only hope Karmi felt was the sign he was still breathing, but her mind wasn't focusing on that, only on what she was looking at. She pulled him closer, resting his head against her neck as she finally let her tears loose.
"No...I-I never wanted this...Please, please don't go…" Karmi wept, whispering to the unconscious boy.
Liv's heels could be heard as she walked over, pausing as she kneeled down and picked up her phone. "Why do you care for him? Remember what he'd done to you?"
Karmi's tears didn't stop, but she looked up at Liv with pure hostility "I remember very well...He reached out to me, he listened to me, he offered comfort, he made me laugh, he...he made me happy, when barely anyone else could…" She gritted her teeth and screamed. "Look at what you have done! How can you feel nothing!? He just wanted to help, he wanted to protect the city and you threaten to take him away from us!"
"...I guess you don't understand... " Liv mused.
The two glared at each other in silence, neither dared to make a move. Karmi only held Hiro closer, promising to protect him from whatever came next. But what came next saved them.
Both turned their gaze as a door was busted open. The others had finally made it. They were ready to call out to Hiro and Baymax, but the sight they entered on nearly made their stomachs turn.
"B-Baymax.?" Fred stuttered.
Honey shouted in panic. "Hiro!"
They all made their way down to the steps. Liv smartly moved back a bit, holding her phone closely. Karmi needed a moment to register they were helping, as she held Hiro tighter, for fear of them taking him away. But once they settled next to her, she allowed them to take their youngest member. Wasabi cradled him, looking over his wounds with a protective yet worried gaze.
"He needs help, now." He quavered.
Gogo's fists tightened as she jumped to her feet. "Not before I knock her teeth out." She turned her stance towards Liv, ready to charge.
Honey and Wasabi stayed put, but surprisingly, Fred joined Gogo's side, not saying a word. Everyone could tell how pissed off he looked under the mask.
However, before they moved, Liv raised her phone, holding a finger over a trigger. "I wouldn't if I were you…"
"Give me one good reason, bitch?" Gogo growled, struggling to keep ahold of her cool.
"I didn't want it to come to this." Liv huffed. "But you've exhausted me to the point where I have no choice. So I'll give you this option. I'll let you walk out of here and take that boy to get help, as long as you don't tell the world of what went down here."
Honey gripped her chest. "After what you did?..."
Liv gave a look, annoyed they interrupted her. "Or...I change everyone I've invested into a mutant. Then you'll have a whole city full of monsters. People attacked, crippled and even killed. Believe me, you know how many investments I've made…"
All their eyes widened. Gogo and Fred stood down from their stance, but still glanced at her. They knew she wasn't bluffing, she was desperate and would take them all down with her if she wanted to.
Liv continued. "I know you won't stop trying to find a way to stop me, so I'll allow her to keep trying. But this is all between us, not the city, not the country, not the world. It'll still be fair grounds. What would you rather, a unleash monsters on everyone and lose the boy...or try and save him, while keeping the city safe for now."
Then there was silence. No one moved, no one said anything. The demands were complicated when you thought into them, but one side was better than the other. Gogo was quick on her decision, placing her hand discs away as she glided over to Wasabi. She knelt down and took Hiro from his, carrying him bridal style. She looked at her friends.
"We promised Tadashi we would protect him…" Was all she said before standing and began walking away, barely looking at Liv as the shutters opened.
Wasabi stood to his feet. He glanced at Fred and both gave an understanding nod, turning to follow Gogo, but along the way they helped Baymax, who was starting to wake up. But the damage and blast clearly made him unstable, so he needed help to walk.
Karmi was looking at her hands, staring at all the blood at painted over her. Silent tears washed her face, her expression empty and tired, barely aware of anything. Honey Lemon didn't say anything to her, knowing how deep in shock the poor girl was in. So she took the girl by the shoulders, gently pulling her up and guiding her out.
Liv actually turned to watch those two walk out, eyes glued to Karmi. She was frustrated, this isn't how things were supposed to go. She lost information and a person, along with who knows how much damage was done to the place. So, she simply turned and strode further into her building, needing to change some plans...