Chapter 20

Later that day, after the rain let up a little bit, the gang of superheroes made their way through the dark city to the warehouse once again. They broke into the same teams they were in last time, but Baymax was an addition to Akari's team. They got closer to the warehouse, and weren't surprised when they saw people blocking the doors, but it's not like it was something they couldn't handle.

While still hiding in the shadows, Akari shot plasma balls from her gloves at the people surrounding the doors, and they feel unconscious instantly. The groups separated, and went in their own entrances.

Tadashi noticed how confident Akari and the rest of the older members of the superhero team looked. Then he realized that being afraid wouldn't help, but they didn't look afraid at all. He remembered reading all of the different things Big Hero 7 had done, and when he saw the videos online, nothing had been messed up, everything had gone as it seemed like it was supposed to. He didn't like how his friends and family put themselves in danger, but he admired how they saved numerous lives, and wondered what motivated them.

Akari was the leader of the team by herself this time. She needed to learn how to take control on her own, and that's what scared her. She couldn't help but think what would happen if something hadn't gone right, she would only blame herself. But saving Hiro and stopping whatever the future versions of the twins had planned was the most important thing.

Once they were all inside the building, Akari told everyone to stay hidden, and keep a lookout for Hiro and their future selves. As guards passed by, they were knocked unconscious, and by the time they had found Hiro, all of the guards were out. Akari noticed how Hiro was chained by his wrist to a wall, and the original members of the team seemed to know instantly what he was building. He was building a portal, just like the one they had seen on Akuma Island 9 months ago. Everyone was intrigued to know why he was building it, but they were afraid of why he was building it.

Akari and Tadashi approached Hiro from the shadows and Hiro seemed to know they were there, because he looked much more relaxed the closer they came. They needed to get him out, but first they needed to unchain him from the wall he was on, which was the opposite side of the warehouse. As they got closer, they heard footsteps approaching, so they went back into hiding. They saw that it was the older versions of Hiro and Akari, so they listened closely on the conversation.

"Have you finished the portal yet?" Akari asked.

"No, I just started it yesterday. How could I finish something so large in one day? I haven't started on your stupid time machine yet either," Hiro stated coldly.

"Well, do it faster. You wouldn't want anything to happen to your precious family, would you?" older Hiro asked.

"I'm working, I'm working," Hiro mumbled and began putting pieces together.

Akari had had enough. They were threatening to hurt her, Aunt Cass, and Tadashi, and that was the wrong thing to do. She told Flynn to throw a couple of smoke bombs, and after they were activated, run out of the place they were hiding.

Flynn did as he was told, and they ran into the center of the warehouse, seeming like they appeared out of thin air after the smoke dissipated.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Big Hero 7? With a few added members I see," older Hiro said.

"Let Hiro go," Akari commanded confidently.

"No. I don't think we will. You see, we warned you the last time you were here not to interfere with our plans or else, and you seemed to disobey us," older Akari informed the group of young adults.

"We don't have to follow your rules," Tadashi stated.

"Oh yes you do…if it means that something terrible were to happen," older Hiro said and pulled out a gun. He pointed it at Hiro, and teased them by adding pressure to the trigger, and then releasing the trigger.

Everyone gasped in horror when the gun was pulled out, and became even more frightened when he began to tease them all. Akari and Tadashi were the most afraid. But Akari found a sense of déjà vu in this situation. Then she remembered the night they had saved Tadashi, the gunman had been teasing Hiro, and finally pulled the trigger, releasing a bullet into his shoulder. But where the gun was aimed this time, he would die almost instantly if they didn't think of something. But everyone was frozen in fear… everyone… except Akari.

She realized that sometimes, the hero sacrifices themselves for the greater good…and she was that hero. She knew what she had to do, and even though she knew the danger coming her way, she couldn't let her brother die.

Hiro's older self applied more and more pressure on the trigger, and Hiro looked at the gun pointed at his head in fear. His older self was so busy paying attention to the trigger, that he didn't notice Akari jumping in front of Hiro at the last second…when the trigger was pulled.

"AKARI!" Tadashi screamed in horror.

The sound of the gun sounding off rang through the warehouse, and Akari fell to the floor, unable to lift herself up. She couldn't feel the pain, but she knew it was there, because of where her blood was spilling out…of course it had to be one of the most sensitive and important parts of the human body…the heart. She felt her strength decreasing, but was able to muster enough of it to lift her arm, and throw the largest ball of plasma she's ever made at the older version of Hiro and herself, blasting them back, and knocking them unconscious.

"No one hurts my family," she managed to say before she fell onto her back.

Akari couldn't move anything but her head, which was a sign that she wasn't going to last very much longer. Hiro and Tadashi ran towards Akari, and fell instantly at her side.

"Why would you do that Akari?" Hiro asked, terrified of losing his sister.

"Because sometimes heroes have to sacrifice themselves for the greater good, and you mean everything to me," Akari told them both.

"You can't leave! I just got you back!" Tadashi cried. None of them noticed that their team had called the police, and that they were on their way. They all slowly approached, and all of them were afraid to lose their friend.

"But someone had to help! And that someone was me," Akari cried.

"Please Akari! I can't lose you! I've already been through enough grief this year!" Hiro sobbed.

"I'm sorry…but there's nothing I can do about it," Akari said softly, letting the tears fall down her cheeks, and recalled what Baymax had told them in the portal, "But even I do go, I'll always be with you."

Hiro knew where she remembered that from, and he let the tears fall, "N-No! Don't say what Baymax said! You're not going to die!"

Tadashi had heard what Hiro had said, and if there wasn't more important things going on right then, he would've asked him about it.

"You don't know that, and I don't know that either. Don't give yourself false hope Hiro," Akari deadpanned.

"Please Akari, don't give up on yourself, we're not going to give up on you," Tadashi cried.

A group of paramedics walked in with a stretcher, and carefully placed Akari on top of it. They wouldn't allow Hiro and Tadashi in the ambulance, but they let them hear what Akari had to say before the doors closed, and the ambulance drove away.

She said, "I'm sorry for everything I put you through, I'm sorry that this had to happen, but I'm not sorry for saving your life. I love you both… t-tell Aunt C-Cass I love her t-too."

Akari closed her eyes, and heard the panicked cries of her brothers before the ambulance drove her away. She didn't fight the urge to fall unconscious, and when she did she took what she thought would be her last breath of air…before leaving the life she knew behind her.

This is the saddest chapter I've ever written...maybe second saddest. There's another sad chapter, but it ends happily, unlike this one. I couldn't wait until Friday to post this, so I'm doing it now! YAY!

Follow and Review! See you in the next chapter!

~Krypie