Chapter 36: Excelsior
Standing below the portal hanging in the sky, Go Go, Honey, Wasabi and Fred watched as the bright light at the tip of the ship suddenly gutted out.
"Oh my god," Fred whispered in wonder, "Guys! Guys, I think they-"
Fred was interrupted by the sound of a muffled boom. Looking up, the group watched as a small fireball burst from the side of the ship. Moments later, a dozen more explosions ripped through the ship, causing ugly black clouds of smoke to begin billowing up towards the sky.
"Oh no," Honey whispered as she covered her mouth in shock as Fred's face went pale.
"Guys, you…." Go Go began, looking at the others with stricken expressions, "You don't think…."
"I don't know," Wasabi replied as he reached down and took her hand into his, "God, I don't know."
As they watched, the distant sound of sirens greeted the group's ears, accompanied by the sounds of helicopters approaching overhead.
"Better late than never," Go Go muttered.
"Guys, look!" Fred stated as he pointed at the smoking spaceship.
As the group watched, dozens of small objects began shooting out of the ship before plummeting towards the ground, tendrils of smoke trailing in their wake.
"What are those things?" Honey questioned.
"I think they're escape pods," Fred surmised.
"Do you think the others could be on one?" Go Go inquired.
"There's only one way to find out," Wasabi replied as he began tracking the trajectory of one of the pods, "Careful, these things are coming in hot."
A moment after Wasabi spoke, one of the escape pods slammed into the ground a dozen yards in front of them, kicking up a cloud of dirt on impact. Reacting quickly, the group rushed over to the pod, arriving just as a hatch opened with a hiss. Eagerly, the group looked inside, only to be greeted by the sight of a Boov, who immediately turned yellow and screamed.
"Nos!" the Boov wailed, "Do nots be the hurting me!"
"Oh Jesus," Go Go sighed as she reached in and grabbed the Boov before hauling him out of the pod, "No one's going to hurt you. Now, get somewhere safe!"
As soon as Go Go had put the Boov down, he went scrambling away as more pods began crashing to the ground both in the immediate area and some distance away.
"Man, they could be in any of these!" Fred groaned.
"Well, looks like we've got our work cut out for us then," Go Go replied before the group split and began investigating the other pods, continuing to only find frightened Boov inside.
"Guys!" Fred called out, catching everyone's attentions, "There's something coming out of the ship!"
Turning their attention back towards the burning spaceship, the group could see something being jettisoned out the side, followed by a large fireball. As they watched the object, it became clear it was not one of the pods as it controlled its movements through the air instead of plummeting towards the ground. As the object drew closer to the ground, it became abundantly clear what the object was.
"My van!" Wasabi called happily.
"They made it out!" Honey added as she clapped her hands giddily.
The group quickly gathered around the van as it settled onto the ground, allowing the passengers to disembark. Hiro was the first to slide open the side door and hop out, where he was immediately pulled into a hug by Honey.
"I'm so happy you're alright!" Honey exclaimed before pulling back and kissing Hiro on the forehead, tears welling up in her eyes, "I can't believe you all-"
Honey trailed off as she watched Abigail disembark from the van, still holding Riley in her arms, dried blood smeared blood beneath the girl's nose.
"Oh my god!" Go Go exclaimed as she rushed over to Abigail's side, looking at Riley with a stricken expression, "What happened!?"
"She pushed her powers to far against the Gorg," Hiro explained, as the others gathered around them, "At least, that's what Baymax thought."
"Where is Baymax?" Fred questioned as he glanced around.
Hiro's face fell at that and Tip placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.
"He stayed behind so we could get away," Tip explained.
"That doesn't mean he's dead," Hiro argued as he shook off Tip's hand, "There are escape pods, he could still get out."
The group shared an uneasy look amongst themselves but nobody spoke up to argue.
"Look, the important thing is that we get Riley some help," Go Go spoke up, "We heard sirens earlier, so I'm sure every emergency responder you could think of is here by now."
"I'll take her," Abigail offered, drawing everyone's attention to her, "Um, I'm Abigail, by the way. I think I owe you all my life."
"It's good to meet you, Abigail," Fred replied with a smile, "I think we were all just trying to do the right thing."
"Be that as it may, I'm still in your debt," Abigail replied, "I don't know if you guys were planning on making this superhero thing permanent, but that will be a lot harder if you guys out yourselves on day one. Besides, I've been stuck as a prisoner on an alien ship for God knows how long, so I think I might need to see a doctor too."
"Alright," Hiro relented with a nod, giving Riley a worried look as he did, "Just, take good care of her."
"Will do," Abigail stated with a nod before she began carrying Riley away from the others.
Picking her way through the debris that now covered most of the KreiTech campus, Abigail made her way to the parking lot, where most of the first responders had converged. She could see that people who had been injured in the attack were being helped by EMTs while the police set up a cordoned off area. Approaching the cordon, Abigail caught the attention of a heavy set police officer.
"Ma'am?" the officer called out to her, catching Abigail's attention, "Ma'am, are you alright?"
"No, please, this girl needs help," Abigail said as she rushed over to the officer and showed Riley to him.
"Geez, she looks pretty banged up," the officer said before he narrowed his eyes at Riley, "Wait, I think I know this kid."
"You do?" Abigail questioned in surprise.
"Yeah," the officer replied with a nod, "Say, what was she doing here?"
"I believe I can answer that, officer," a new voice spoke up, prompting the officer and Abigail to turn and find Alistair Krei stumbling towards them, doing his best to support the limp form of Bill Andersen as he came.
"Hey, can I get a doctor over here!?" the officer called, prompting a pair of EMTs to rush over and take Bill from Krei.
"That man is an employee of mine," Krei explained before indicating towards Riley, "And that's his daughter, who was visiting with him today. Please see that they get the best care available."
As another EMT took Riley from her hands, Krei turned his attention towards Abigail.
"Thank you for your help, miss," Krei began before his eyes went wide as he recognized her, "A-Abigail?"
"Hey, Krei," Abigail greeted with a chuckle, "Long time, no see."
"I can't believe it," Krei stated with wonder as his face broke out into a grin, "I can't believe it! They did it, they brought you back!"
Stepping forward, Krei pulled Abigail into a hug, which she accepted with a laugh.
"I should have known you guys wouldn't give up on me," Abigail stated as she pulled back, "Dad must have been so worried!"
The word seemed to strike Krei like a blow, immediately wiping the smile off his face.
"Abigail," Krei began, a concerned look on his face, "There's something I feel I should tell you."
"What is it, Krei?" Abigail questioned, her brow knitting together in concern, "What's wrong?"
"Krei?" the officer asked as something seemed to occur to him, "Wait, Alistair Krei, the billionaire that got kidnapped last night?"
"Yes," Krei answered with an annoyed sigh, "And if you'd just give me a minute, I can explain-"
"Abigail?" a new voice spoke up, a quaver in its tone. Spinning around, Abigail found her father standing a few feet away, looking at her with an expression of shocked amazement.
"Dad!" Abigail exclaimed before rushing over and throwing herself into Callaghan's arm, the man quickly reciprocating the hug.
"I-I can't believe it," Callaghan whispered as he held his daughter close, "I can't believe you're alright."
"Thanks to you, I'm sure," Abigail stated, "I'm guessing those kids are all your students?"
The question seemed to snap Callaghan out of his happy daze as a look of sorrow slowly began to creep into his features.
"Abigail," he began to say, his voice barely above a whisper, "Honey, there's something I have to tell you."
"Officer," Krei spoke up, catching both Abigail and Callaghan's attention, as he pointed towards the older man, "You were asking about my kidnapping the other night? Well, there's the perpetrator right there."
"What!?" Abigail exclaimed as she spun to face Krei, "What are you talking about!?"
"Not only did he kidnap me, he's directly responsible for everything that happened here today," Krei continued as the officer looked up at him in surprise.
"Krei, are you insane!?" Abigail snapped angrily, but stopped as Callaghan laid a hand on her shoulder. Slowly, she turned to look at her father and found him staring at her with a guilty, heartbroken expression.
"Sir," the officer spoke up, watching Callaghan wearily as his hand rested on the butt of his gun, "Is what he saying true?"
Callaghan looked at Abigail for a long moment, watching as her expression changed to one of confusion before he turned his attention towards the officer.
"Yes, it is," Callaghan confirmed, wincing slightly as he heard Abigail let out a shocked gasp, "My name is Professor Robert Callaghan, and I'm responsible for kidnapping Alistair Krei and for all the destruction that's happened here today."
"Dad, what are you saying!?" Abigail questioned, grabbing Callaghan's arm as she looked up at him, tears forming in her eyes.
"I needed to get you back, Abigail," Callaghan explained, turning towards his daughter and grabbing both of her arms, "I was so desperate….I crossed….I crossed so many lines."
"Robert Callaghan?" the officer asked in surprise, "Weren't you killed in that fire a few months ago?"
"I started that fire to fake my death," Callaghan answered and Abigail flinched away from him as if she'd been struck, pulling herself from his grasp. Callaghan looked at her sadly for a moment before he turned towards the officer again.
"I started that fire to hide my theft of the microbots invented by Hiro Hamada," Callaghan elaborated, "I am responsible for the fire that destroyed the building….and killed Tadashi Hamada."
Abigail's choked sob brought Callaghan's attention back to her, and he knew in that moment what he saw would haunt him for the rest of his days. Tears were now streaming freely down her face, she looked at him like she didn't recognize him. She looked at him as though someone had taken her father and replaced him with something else.
With a monster.
"Is this a confession?" the officer questioned.
"I….I suppose it is," Callaghan admitted as he managed to tear his gaze away from his daughter.
"I'm required to tell you that you have the right to keep quiet," the officer said, reaching for his handcuffs as he edged towards Callaghan, "That you have the right to have a lawyer with you when you do this."
"I understand my rights," Callaghan replied, "They won't be necessary."
"Are you going to come quietly?" the officer questioned as he pulled out his handcuffs.
"I'm not going to fight you, officer," Callaghan answered as he held out his to the officer, placing his wrists next to one another. Still moving cautiously, the officer placed the cuffs on Callaghan's wrists and clicked them into place. As he did, Callaghan looked back at Abigail, who was fully crying, her hands covering her mouth.
"I'm so sorry, Abigail," Callaghan muttered as tears welled up in his eyes as well, "I love you, and I'm so sorry."
Abigail said nothing as she fell to her knees and wept.
"Come on, pal," the officer said as he began leading Callaghan away, "I'm sure there are a lot of people downtown who are going to want to talk to you."
Callaghan said nothing as they walked, sparing one last glance towards Abigail as Krei moved to her side to comfort her. As they walked, the officer looked Callaghan up and down and a thought occurred to him.
"You said you stole some, uh, microbots, right?" the officer questioned as they reached a squad car.
"Yes," Callaghan confirmed as he turned his attention towards the officer.
"Was a….kabuki mask part of this get up at one point?" the officer inquired as he opened the door to the squad car's rear seat.
"Yes," Callaghan replied, blinking in surprise, "How did you know?"
"No reason," the officer replied with a shrug as he guided Callaghan into the squad car, "But it looks like I owe a couple of kids an apology."
Meanwhile,
As escape pods continued to rain down from the burning spaceship, the group spent their time pulling Boov out of the pods and getting them to safety. As Hiro pulled yet another alien out of one of the pods, he let out a frustrated sigh while looking around the courtyard the group was in.
"This is ridiculous!" Hiro snapped as he looked around in frustration, "He has to be here somewhere!"
"Hiro," Honey said gently as she walked over to him and lay a hand on the boy's shoulder, "I think we're going to have to accept-"
"No!" Hiro snapped as he turned to face Honey, pulling himself from her grasp in the process, "I'm not giving up on him! He'll find a way off, you'll see!"
Honey looked at Hiro with a strickened expression and began to say something when Fred let out a cry of surprise.
"Guys, look!" Fred called as he pointed skyward.
Turning their attention upward, the group could see that the Gorg's ship, now almost completely engulfed in flames, had begun to retreat back through the portal.
"Where's it going?" Go Go questioned.
"Looks like back out into space," Wasabi replied, "But I don't know-"
Wasabi was cut off as the ship suddenly exploded, the force of the blast through the portal nearly knocking them all to the ground. As they recovered their balance, the group watched, a large fireball came rushing down towards them, but was stopped as the portal suddenly collapsed, shrinking in on itself before the fireball could pass through, disappearing with a whoosh of rushing air. After that, the KreiTech Campus became oddly quiet as what little debris made it through the portal fell to the ground.
"Baymax…." Hiro muttered as he stared at the spot where the portal had been moments before his eyes dropped to the ground.
"Hiro," Wasabi said, moving to reach out to the boy but pausing halfway through, "I'm so sorry."
"Uh guys!" Fred called, his gaze still focused on the sky, "Heads up!"
Quickly looking skywards again, the rest of the group caught sight of a piece of debris flipping through the air towards them. Scattering, the group was able to jump clear of the object as the object slammed into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dirt on impact. As the group picked themselves up off the ground and took the time to regard the object, they were shocked by what they saw.
"Is that…." Tip began to say as the cloud of dirt cleared.
"Abigail's test pod!" Hiro exclaimed, "Baymax must have used it to get off the ship!"
Rushing towards the pod, a smile spread across Hiro's face as it began to open.
"I'm here, Baymax!" Hiro called as he reached the pod and looked inside, "I'm-"
Hiro cut himself off when he did not find Baymax sitting inside, but a small, starfish-like creature staring up at him. As Hiro looked at the creature in shock, the others gathered around him, staring at the occupant of the pod with wide eyes.
"What the hell is that?" Go Go asked no one in particular.
"It is….it is the Gorg," Oh answered, his tone a mixture of shock and awe.
"That's the Gorg!?" Tip questioned in astonishment, pulling her gaze away from the alien to give Oh an incredulous look.
"But we've seen the Gorg!" Wasabi added, "He's big and terrifying and….well, not orange."
"No, I think I get it," Fred spoke up, "The whole big scary thing? That's a suit he wears! It's just like this movie I saw when I was a kid about this shadowy government agency that monitored alien life on Earth."
To Hiro however, his friends chatter was so much background noise as he glared at the Gorg and clenched the side of the pod as hard as he could. Then, with a shout of anger, Hiro reached out and grabbed the Gorg, wrapping his hand around the alien and pulling it up so they were staring face to face.
"This is all your fault!" Hiro snarled, "Everyone who got hurt, everyone who died because of this is your doing! Riley! Baymax! My brother!"
As Hiro shouted, he began to squeeze the Gorg, which let out a wail of pain as it struggled against the boy's grip.
"What's the matter?" Hiro spat, "Can't swallow a taste of your own medicine? How about I do to you what you did to Baymax?"
As Hiro spoke, his friends looked at him in shock, caught off guard by Hiro's sudden anger. Before any of them could interject though, Hiro loosened his grip on the Gorg and tossed the alien back onto the pod's seat.
"But it wouldn't bring him back," Hiro said, still glaring at the Gorg as the alien pushed itself into a seated position, taking deep, painful gasps of air, "All it would do is make me like you."
The others watched the exchange with sad, sympathetic looks and Tip rested her hand on Hiro's shoulder as the boy hunkered down and squeezed his eyes closed in frustration.
"All this…." Hiro growled, "What was it even for?"
"For this," Honey spoke up as she reached down and pulled the Gorg's oval shaped stone out of the pod. Seeing her take it, the Gorg gibbered something in an alien language as it moved to stop her but was halted as Go Go reached down and shoved it onto its back.
"Oh no you don't," Go Go said as she glared at the Gorg, "I think we should smash that thing just to teach this alien asshole a lesson."
"I don't think we want to do that," Honey replied as she touched the top of the stone and it opened up, revealing the dozens of infant creatures within. As Honey looked at the contents of the egg in amazement, the others gathered around her, their eyes going wide at the sight.
"Are those…." Wasabi began to say before trailing off.
"Little Gorgs?" Fred finished while nodding, "Yeah, I think so."
"This….This is an egg," Honey surmised in wonder.
"That's why he did all this," Tip stated, "He was trying to get his egg back."
"That's why he's in the pod," Hiro added as he stood back up, eyes wide with understanding.
"What do you mean?" Go Go questioned in confusion.
"Baymax must have found out about the Gorg's egg too," Hiro explained, looking around at his friends as he spoke, "He couldn't just let a bunch of innocent creatures die, so he took the Gorg and its egg to Abigail's pod. It had no propulsion system, so he must have thrown it out himself."
"He sacrificed himself to save them," Wasabi surmised.
"It's what he was programmed to do," Hiro agreed with a nod, "It's what Tadashi designed him for."
"But now that last bit of Tadashi is gone forever," Honey said sadly as she closed the egg back up.
As they spoke, the Gorg had started shouting at them in its alien language. As Honey closed the egg, Hiro relented and looked down at the Gorg, only for his eyes to go wide in utter shock.
"Maybe not!" Hiro exclaimed as he quickly reached into the pod.
"Hiro?" Tip asked in confusion as she tried to see what he was doing, "What is it?"
"Look what the Gorg just gave me!" Hiro said excitedly as he held up Baymax's green data chip for everyone to see.
"Baymax's data chip!" Go Go exclaimed as she snatched it out of Hiro's hand and brought it closer so that she and the others could examine it.
"But how?" Wasabi questioned, "Baymax would have needed this to throw the pod out of the ship and you said he broke the combat one you made him."
"The data chip Riley made for him!" Hiro replied, snapping his fingers in understanding, "It must have given him enough memory and processing power to do what he needed to do without sacrificing his core data chip."
"I'm confused, how does this fix things?" Tip asked.
"Don't you remember?" Hiro questioned as he took the data card back and held it up for Tip to see, "Everything that makes Baymax, Baymax is in here. All his programing. All his memories."
"So, all we are needings to be doing is to rebuild his mechanical body," Oh surmised, nodding his head and grinning as he followed the logic, "Then the Baymax android shall be returned!"
As his friends began to talk excitedly about the turn in events, Hiro looked down at the green data card.
"I've got to say, Tadashi," Hiro muttered as he rubbed his finger over the cartoon doctor's face imprinted on the data chip, "You sure built a hell of a robot."
Later,
"Ugh," Anger groaned from somewhere in the black abyss of unconsciousness, "My head."
"Remind me to never do that again," Joy hissed in pain.
"Gladly," Disgust agreed, "Ugh, why are all the lights off?"
"Oh no!" Fear wailed, "Are we dead!?"
"No, we're just unconscious," Sadness replied, "I think we're coming around too."
"I think I'm getting some emotional readings from our empathy-thingy," Disgust spoke up, "It seems like there are a bunch of people…wherever we are."
"Quite," Joy shushed them, "I think Riley is waking up."
Slowly, as her emotions' voices quieted down, Riley felt herself come drifting out of the void and back into herself. She became aware of the soft mattress she way laying upon, along with the blanket that was spread over most of her body. As she began to stir, she noticed that her head felt as though it was made of lead and she briefly considered falling back into the grip of unconsciousness. She pushed on, however, and as her eyes began to flutter open, she needed to squeeze them shut for a moment to give them time to adjust against the light.
After she finally found the strength to open her eyes, Riley discovered that she was in a hospital room. The bed she was on lay in the middle of the room, with a door to the right and a large window looking out over San Fransokyo to her left, the morning sunlight touching the off-white walls. Nestled in the upper left corner of the room was a small television, from which a newscaster droned.
Glancing around the room, Riley noticed that it was filled with her friends. Tip was sitting in one of the chairs to her right while Hiro was standing directly to her left, looking out over the city through the window with a tablet tucked under his arm. In front of her Wasabi, Honey, Go Go, Fred, and, to her delirious shock, Oh, were all sitting and standing around the room while conversing with one another.
"Riley!" Tip exclaimed happily as she noticed her friend stirring, "Guys, Riley's awake!"
The words prompted Riley's friends to turn their attention towards her, each of them sporting happy, relieved smiles.
"Hey guys," Riley greeted with a smile of her own as she looked around at them.
Riley's cheerful greeting prompted her friends to move in closer, each of them greeting her in turn.
"Hey, Fargo," Go Go said as she gave Riley a hug, "Happy to see you up."
"How are you feeling?" Honey inquired, "We were so worried about you."
"You should have seen Yuri's face when she first caught sight of you," Wasabi said with a laugh,"I thought she was going to die from worry."
Wasabi's laughter stopped as Go Go pulled away from Riley before she turned and punched him in the arm, causing him to let out a whine of pain.
"So, we won?" Riley questioned with a grin.
"Victory was claimed most triumphantly!" Oh exclaimed.
"Oh, you should have seen it, Fargo!" Fred added excitedly, "Our heroes victorious, alien ship destroyed, bad guy arrested!"
"So, typical Saturday morning cartoon stuff," Tip surmised as she gave Riley a hug.
"The important thing is that everyone got out alright," Honey spoke up as she gave Riley a warm smile.
"Yeah, I don't know what I would do if…." Riley trailed off as she looked around the room, a confused expression formed on her face, "Wait, where's Baymax?"
Riley felt a pang of fear shoot through her chest as she watched her friends exchange glances, though it was muted by the fact that while her friends were clearly expecting the question, they didn't seem troubled by it.
"After you passed out, we had to get off the ship," Hiro explained as he sat down on the bed, "But the Gorg was still coming for us, so Baymax elected to stay behind to keep him busy."
"Baymax stayed behind?" Riley questioned, before giving Honey an accusatory look, "I thought you said everyone got out alright?"
"They did," Honey insisted, keeping her voice low in an effort to keep Riley calm.
"How is getting blown up in an alien spaceship 'getting out alright'!?" Riley demanded.
"Because he didn't die, Riley," Hiro spoke up, placing his hand on top of hers to draw her attention towards him, "Look."
As Riley turned towards Hiro, the boy held the tablet he had been carrying up to face her. As she looked at it, she realized the table's screen was depicting a close up of Baymax's minimalist features, the eyes blinking as they looked at Riley.
"Good morning, Riley," Baymax greeted, his voice distorted by the tablet's speaker, "How are you feeling today?"
"Baymax!" Riley exclaimed with joy as she took the tabled from Hiro's hands and held it in front of her, "You're alive!"
"I am not alive," Baymax corrected, "I am a robot."
"But how?" Riley questioned as her brows furrowed, "If you stayed behind, how…."
Thinking about what Baymax had just said about his nature, Riley began to run her hand along the edges of the tablet. After a moment of searching, Riley found an occupied connection port. Turning the tablet so that she could see the port, Riley grinned as she saw Baymax's green data chip sticking out of it.
"Your data chip!" Riley announced as she turned her attention back to the tablet's screen, "But how did you get it off the ship?"
"Thanks to you, actually," Hiro spoke up with a smirk.
"Me?" Riley questioned in confusion.
"Thanks to the processing power afforded to me by the extra data chip you gave me, I was able to remove this data chip and continue functioning," Baymax explained, "I apologize for its loss."
"That's fine," Riley replied with a chuckle, before her expression turned perplexed again, "That still doesn't really explain how you got off the ship."
"He used Abigail's pod," Tip explained, "He put the chip in their with the Gorg."
"The Gorg!?" Riley questioned in surprise, "Baymax saved the Gorg!?"
"Does that really sound out of character for him?" Wasabi asked with a chuckle.
"I was programmed to preserve life," Baymax elaborated, "Human or otherwise."
"Also, it turns out the big scary monster look is actually a fancy suit of armor," Fred stated, "In reality, the Gorg's this starfish-thing about the size of your hand."
"You're kidding," Riley stated as she looked at Fred in shock.
"If I'm lying, I'm dying, Fargo," Fred replied with a chuckle as he shrugged helplessly.
"Baymax's actions were also a little more understandable when we all found out why the Gorg wanted that rock so bad," Honey added.
"Why?" Riley questioned.
"It is being the Gorg's egg," Oh spoke up, causing Riley to whip her head around to stare at the Boov in shock.
"His egg?" Riley repeated, before her face scrunched up in confusion, "Her egg?"
She turned to Hiro for help, but all the boy could do is offer her a helpless shrug.
"The Gorg is being the last of its kind," Oh elaborated, "If it had been losing its egg, the Gorg would become inevitably extinct."
"I guess that does explain a lot," Riley mused as she thought over everything that had happened, "That doesn't make what it did alright."
"No, it doesn't," Wasabi agreed with a nod, "But I don't think the Gorg will be getting away with it."
"We got out of there after grabbing Baymax's data chip," Go Go elaborated, "But we left the Gorg and its egg behind. I'm guessing the feds took care of that. With any luck, the Gorg is locked up in some cage beneath Area 51 where it belongs."
"What about Callaghan?" Riley questioned as she turned her attention towards Hiro.
"He turned himself in to the police," Hiro answered, a melancholy look on his face, "He confessed to everything….including Tadashi's death."
"Does Abigail know?" Riley inquired.
"Apparently she was there when he turned himself in," Fred explained, "She's in another room recovering from everything. She seemed pretty shaken up."
"That's hardly unexpected," Honey commented with a tone of sympathy.
"So, that's it then?" Riley asked, "It's all over?"
"It looks like it," Wasabi confirmed with a nod.
"All that's really left is to-" Tip began to say.
"Riley!" a voice exclaimed from behind her friends, interrupting Tip. As her friends stepped to the side, Riley could see her parents standing in the doorway, looking at her in surprise, with Cass and Lucy standing behind them. Riley's parents quickly rushed over to her, Bill pulling her into a hug as her mother covered the top of her head in kisses.
"Oh Riley!" Jill whispered excitedly as tears began to well up in her eyes, "Oh baby, you're awake."
"How are you feeling, monkey?" Bill questioned, smiling as he pulled back and laid a hand on Riley's own.
"Like someone filled my head with cement," Riley groaned.
"I can't say I'm surprised," Bill replied with a chuckle and a shake of his head. It was only then that Riley noticed that her father's head was currently wrapped with bandages.
"Are you okay?" Riley questioned as she looked up at him in concern.
"I've had worse," Bill replied with a shrug as he gingerly touched the bandages, "It was worth it to keep you safe."
"I still can't believe that you were there, Riley," her mother whispered, looking at Riley with tears in her eyes, "That you were involved with aliens and supervillains. That you…."
"That I have superpowers?" Riley finished with a small smile.
"You've got to admit, monkey, it's a little hard to believe," Bill stated.
"You should try living it," Riley replied with a chuckle as she lowered her gaze, "Feeling every emotion that goes through someone else's head. Every moment of joy, every bit of sadness. Being able to looked at someone and knowing exactly what they're feeling right at that moment."
Riley paused and raised her gaze, doing her best to look both of her parents in the eye.
"Like knowing that your parents are worried and upset by what their daughter chose to do, all covering a deeper fear that there might be something irrevocably wrong with her," Riley paused as her breath hitched, "But also seeing that beneath all of that, they're proud of her."
Bill's eyes widened in amazement as Jill covered her mouth in shock.
"Surprise," Riley said with a small chuckle, her tone making it clear her attempt at humor was merely a cover for her growing anxiety.
"Sweetheart," Jill started to say, lowering her hand and laying it on Riley's while looking at her daughter in wonder, "That….That's…."
"Amazing," Bill finished as he took Riley's other hand.
"R-Really?" Riley questioned as tears began welling up in her eyes, "You guys don't think I'm crazy, or a freak?"
"Are you kidding?" Bill asked with a chuckle, "It's like you said, we're proud of you."
"How could we be anything but?" Jill added before they both pulled Riley into a hug, holding their daughter tightly as relieved and happy tears rolled down her cheeks.
After a moment, the family pulled apart and Bill gave his wife a grin.
"Our daughter, the superhero," Bill stated in amazement, "Can you believe it?"
"After what I saw, I'd rather not," Jill answered soberly.
"Mom, I had to do it," Riley tried to argue.
"Whether you had to do it or not is an argument for a different time," Jill relented, "What matters is that you can put all this superhero stuff behind you."
"I'm sorry to interrupt, ma'am, but I'm not so sure that's true," a new voice spoke up.
As everyone turned away from Riley, they found a man standing in the doorway. He appeared to be in his late middle ages, with greying hair that had gone white at the temples and an equally white mustache. He wore a dark blue sports coat over brown slacks and a salmon-colored button-up shirt. A red ascot was wrapped around his neck while a pair of yellow-tinted aviator sunglasses obscured his eyes. He wore a pair of fine leather shoes, while a gold wedding band sat on the ring finger of his left and an a pinkie ring on his right.
As Riley looked the man over, a feeling of recognition tingled in the back of her mind.
"Wait a minute," Joy whispered, "Isn't that…?"
"Dad!" Fred exclaimed happily as he ran over to the man and embraced him.
"Ha ha, how are you, son!?" the man questioned as he returned the hug before taking a step back and giving Fred an approving look, "It's good to see you!"
"When did you get back?" Fred asked with a large grin.
"Just a little while ago," the man explained, "Your mother and I started heading back as soon as we heard what had happened. Heathcliff was able to tell us where you'd be."
"Excuse me, sir," Bill said as he turned to face the man, giving him a puzzled look, "I don't believe we've met."
"I'm sorry, how terribly rude of me," the man replied before he offered his hand, "Stanley Lieber, though my friends call me Stan."
"L-Lieber?" Bill questioned, his expression turning to shock as he shook the offered hand, "As in the Lieber Technology Group?"
"That's the one," Stan answered with a chuckle, "It's good to finally meet you, Bill. Can I call you Bill?"
"Of course, Mr.-" Bill began to say before a thought occurred to him, "Wait a minute. How do you know my name?"
"I try to keep informed about everyone in Fred's life," Stan answered as he turned towards the others, "Especially his friends."
With that, Stan fell silent for a moment as he gave the group an appraising look.
"Now, tell me," Stan began thoughtfully, "Do you prefer your real names, or those ridiculous nicknames my son has given you?"
The question caught the group off guard for a moment before they all let out amused chuckles as a small grin spread across Stan's features.
"I'd have to say they've grown on us," Go Go replied with a smirk.
"I'm sorry," Jill interrupted, bringing everyone's attention to her, "It is wonderful to meet you and all, Mr. Lieber, but what was it you were saying about my daughter?"
"You're right, I'm terribly sorry for getting off track," Stan apologized, "What I was saying is that your daughter's days as a superhero might not necessarily be behind her."
"What do you mean?" Cass questioned in confusion, "The people who caused this are in prison. What more is there for them to do?"
"The day is saved, for sure," Stan agreed with a nod, "But what about tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow it will be handled by professionals," Lucy argued.
"I'm sorry ma'am, but there's no such thing as professionals in this business," Stan stated with a chuckle, "The only school any superhero ever went to is the one of hard knocks, and each one of them started out at the same level Riley here did."
"So, what, you think Riley should be running around in a costume and beating up criminals?" Jill questioned incredulously.
"To put it simply, yes, I do," Stan answered with a nod.
"This is ridiculous," Bill said crossly, "Even if we would allow this sort of thing, what you're suggesting is illegal."
"For now, yes," Stan agreed, "But I have it on good authority that the Supers Ban will be a thing of the past soon."
"How do you know all of this?" Cass questioned.
"I have my connections," Stan answered cryptically.
"This is ridiculous," Jill said heatedly, "You can't possibly suggest that my child should put her life on the line!"
"She already has," Stan retorted, "All of our children have."
"Your son is a grown man," Bill retorted as he glared at Stan, "Riley is only twelve years old!"
"Yes, she is," Stan agreed as he turned his attention towards Riley, "And what a great burden she's been given at such a young age."
"But let me ask you this," Stan continued as he turned back to the parents, "What would have happened if your daughter hadn't done what she did? How many people would have been hurt? How many would have been killed?"
Riley's parents offered no reply and Stan sighed sadly as he took off his glasses and looked at Riley's parents sympathetically.
"I'm sorry to be the one putting you in this position," Stan said, "But I've learned from hard won experience that power comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes, but that no matter what form it takes, one thing always hold true."
"What's that?" Riley spoke up for the first time since Stan had entered the room, drawing his attention to her.
"That power always comes with weight of responsibility," Stan intoned seriously, "And with great power comes great responsibility."
"You sound like you're talking from experience, sir," Wasabi observed.
"I suppose I am," Stan agreed with a nod as he put his glasses back on, "After all, once upon a time, I was standing where you all are standing right now."
"What do you mean?" Go Go questioned
"Have you ever heard of Excelsior?" Stan asked in reply.
"The superhero who used to protect San Fransokyo?" Cass questioned, "What about him?"
"Wait, Dad….are you saying…." Fred began to say, a look of shock and awe spreading across his face.
"I believe I am, son," Stan answered as he looked at his son and smiled.
"Whoa," Hiro spoke up as he put the pieces together, "You were Excelsior?"
"I was," Stan confirmed with a nod as he turned his attention back to Riley's parents, "I started out as an inventor, but I realized that instead of just making money off my inventions, I could use them to help people in need."
"So, you were a lot like us," Honey observed.
"Yes, I see a lot of myself in all of you," Stan stated before he looked at Hiro, "Especially you, Hiro."
As Hiro smiled at the comment, Stan turned his attention towards Riley.
"And I see a lot of the friends I made along the way in you," Stan continued, "People who were gifted with extraordinary abilities and extraordinary courage."
With that, Stan turned his attention back to Riley's parents.
"That is why I came here today," Stan explained, "Not to demand that Riley put her life on the line for others, but to share what I know. And what I know is that, more often than not, people like Riley became heroes after some great tragedy pushed them to do it. Something that forced them to learn to use their powers responsibly. I wanted to see if I could prevent that for her. To give what little wisdom I have without the pain of earning it."
"I appreciate that, Mr. Lieber," Riley spoke up, "But I think it's too late for that."
As everyone turned their attention towards Riley, she looked over at Hiro.
"The reason I got involved in all of this was because of what happened to Tadashi," Riley explained, "He was my friend, and I was almost broken by my powers when he died. But it also showed me just how much pain comes from losing a loved one. I knew I had to help fix it."
Riley paused, pulling her gaze away from Hiro and giving Stan a resolute look.
"And I knew that I couldn't let someone hurt people like that again," Riley continued, "Not when I could do something about it."
A hush fell over the room as everyone processed what Riley had said. Honey looked like she was fighting back tears as Go Go reached up and laid a hand on the taller woman's shoulder. Jill covered her mouth with her hand as Bill stared at Riley in shock for a moment before a proud smile spread across his face. After a moment, Hiro reached out and took Riley's hand in his before giving it a small squeeze, causing her to smile at him.
"I'm sorry you had to learn that lesson the hard way," Stan said apologetically.
"I don't know who you think you are, coming in here and demanding that my daughter put her life on the line!" Jill snapped as she rounded on Stan.
"I'm not demanding anything," Stan replied as he held his hands up towards Jill, "I've just seen the way this story goes before. Ultimately, the choice is neither of ours."
"Oh?" Jill replied combatively, "And whose is it then?"
"It's mine," Riley answered, causing Jill to turn and look at her in shock.
"Riley, you can't be serious!" Jill exclaimed.
"How can I not be, Mom?" Riley argued, "People are alive because I was there!"
"You're a child!" Jill stated heatedly.
"A child who can do things that no one else can!" Riley retorted, "It's like Stan said, I have a responsibility to use my powers to help people!"
"I don't care what nonsense this stranger has put in your head!" Jill snapped, "I forbid you from-"
Jill cut herself off as Bill reached out and laid a hand on her shoulder. Turning her head, Jill regarded her husband in confusion, but Bill said nothing as he focused on Riley.
"Riley," Bill began before pausing as he thought over what he wanted to say, "Do you remember the night of the fire? When I told you I was proud of you for standing up to Alistair Krei?"
Riley nodded quietly in return.
"I told you I was proud of you for standing up for your convictions," Bill continued, "And I have to say, watching you stand up for them again, willing to put your life on the line for them….I don't think I've felt more proud about anything in my life."
"Bill!" Jill hissed, betrayal creeping into her voice.
"Jill, you know how she can be," Bill said as he turned his attention towards his wife, "We wouldn't be stopping her from doing this. We would just be getting in her way."
"Bill, she's our daughter!" Jill insisted, "She's a child! We have to protect her!"
"And we're always going to want to protect her, even when she's no longer a child," Bill retorted, "But eventually, we're going to have to accept that we're not always going to be able to protect her."
Smiling softly, Bill reached up and touched the bandage on his head.
"In fact, sometimes she'll have to protect us," he continued.
Jill looked stricken as she looked over at Riley.
"Jill," Bill said as he reached up and gently placed his hand on Jill's face, turning her gaze back to him, "Every parent worries if they're raising their child right, but ours is here demanding to be allowed to help people. To make the world a better place. What more evidence do we need that we raised her to be a good person. What more could a parent ask for?"
"For their child to be safe," Jill argued, though much of the heat had left her voice.
"I'll keep her safe," Hiro spoke up.
A hush fell over the room and Hiro felt his face heat up as everyone turned their attention towards him.
"I mean…." Hiro mumbled as he recompsed himself, "I care about Riley….a lot…."
Hiro trailed off as he looked over at Riley, who smiled warmly at him, causing him to blush again.
"Riley's not the only person who wants to help people," Hiro explained, "I found out that I can use what I know to help people too, and if she's going to be out there saving people, then so am I."
Turning towards Cass, a resolute look fell across Hiro's features.
"Aunt Cass, I know-" Hiro began to say.
"Your parents would be proud of you," Cass said quickly, interrupting Hiro.
"W-What?" Hiro asked, caught off guard by the statement.
"I just….I know you don't remember much of your parents," Cass explained as tears began to well up in her eyes, "I just wanted you to know that your parents would be proud of what you've done and what you're going to do. Just like I am."
As Hiro stared at her in surprise, Cass walked over to her nephew and crouched in front of him.
"And I think we both know how Tadashi would feel," Cass added before she leaned forward and embraced Hiro, who happily returned the hug.
"Hiro won't be the only one," Tip spoke up, "I'm going to help too."
"Tip…." Lucy said, a worried tone in her voice.
"Didn't you see me out there, Mom?" Tip questioned as she turned towards Lucy, "I-I don't have a genius brain or superpowers but….but I was still able to help. I found something I was really good at and I helped people doing it. You saw that, right?"
Lucy looked at her daughter for a long moment before she smiled.
"I did, baby girl," Lucy answered, her voice barely above a whisper, "And you were magnificent."
As Jill watched the scene unfold with a shocked expression, she felt another hand placed on her shoulder. Turning, she found Go Go looking down at her with a serious expression.
"Mrs. Andersen," Go Go started, before pausing as she rethought her statement, "Jill. I promise you that I would die before I let something happen to Riley."
"That goes for all of us," Honey added as Wasabi and Fred nodded in agreement.
"I will be helpings as well!" Oh exclaimed before turning sheepish as everyone looked at him, "Or….at least not be making things the worse."
Smiling softly at the Boov, Jill turned her attention back towards Riley. As she made eye contact with her daughter, Jill reached out and took Riley's hand in hers.
"You know I love you more than anything, right?" Jill questioned.
"Of course," Riley replied with a small chuckle as she blinked back tears, "I don't need superpowers to know that."
Jill chuckled in reply and took a moment to wipe at her eyes before lifting Riley's hand up and kissing her fingers.
"Then I want you to know that I'm proud of you too," Jill continued, "And I'm sure I'll be proud of what you and your friends are going to do."
Riley positively beamed at her mother and squeezed their clasped hands.
"Well then, it sounds like all of your minds are made up," Stan said with a wide grin, bringing everyone's attention back to him, "A real group of true believers. Now, I'm just an old, washed up hero but I think I still have a thing or two I can teach you."
Stan paused as he looked around the room.
"So, what do you say, true believers?" Stan all but dared them.
"Are you kidding, Dad!?" Fred exclaimed, "I've been waiting for this day my whole life!"
"It's what Tadashi would have wanted," Honey stated with a determined nod.
"Well, Yuri, what do you say?" Wasabi questioned as he held his hand up to her.
"Sure," Go Go replied with a nonchalant shrug as she took his hand, "But only because you're cute."
"I'm down if I don't have to drive a beat up old van anymore," Tip stated.
"Hey!" Wasabi replied indignantly.
"The truth hurts," Tip answered with a shrug.
"I has been mentally sketching out an enhanced version of the vehicle I can make," Oh stated, "I am callsing it Slushious."
"Oh man, we are absolutely not calling our team vehicle Slushious," Hiro stated with a chuckle, "And I better help you with that so you don't go accidently giving someone else superpowers."
"I too would like to be of assistance," Baymax spoke up, "Once I have my body back, that is."
"That's the first thing on my to do list, pal," Hiro stated before looking at Riley, "What about you, Riley? We can't do this without our only super."
Riley was quiet for a moment as she looked around the room at her friends and family. Then, taking a deep, calming breath she closed her eyes.
"What do you guys think?" Riley asked her emotions.
"Sounds dangerous," Fear admitted.
"And we might fail," Sadness added, "People could get hurt."
"But more people could get hurt if we don't," Disgust argued, "And could we live with ourselves if that happened?"
"You already know how I feel about knocking around some bad guys," Anger said with almost sadistic glee as he popped his knuckles.
"We're with you, Riley," Joy stated firmly, "Every step of the way."
Riley opened her eyes and looked at Stan with a fierce determination.
"Where do I sign up?" she questioned, her grin threatening to split her face.
A/N: And fin. So, this turned out to be a long one, but I said I would finish this story up with one last chapter and I meant it. Thanks again to all of you for sticking with my through this story, it was your love for it that kept me going. I hope you all like the conclusion, and as for what is to come, I have a few "after-credits scenes" to give you all a hint of what's to come! So, as always, feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review! Later, true believers!
Classified location
A man stood in a dimly lit meeting chamber in between a long table and a display screen. He was an unassuming, middle-aged man with short brown hair, brown eyes and stubble on his dour face. He wore a simple, dark grey suit over a white button-up and a black tie.
"We understand you have some important information for us, Agent Dicker," a cultured, British accent said, coming from the heavy set man in a brown suit sitting at the table.
"It had better be, Rick," a hard, gravelly voice added, coming from the tough looking man in a United States Army uniform, "You might have noticed our schedules been a little busy lately."
"I have, General Monger," the man, Agent Rick Dicker replied with a deep, sonorous voice, "I appreciate you and Director Ramsbottom taking the time to meet with me, especially because it concerns recent events."
"So, you know what happened in San Fransokyo?" Ramsbottom questioned.
"More or less," Rick answered, "We know that our new guest in Area 51 is the main cause, with the help of a new supervillain."
As Rick spoke, the display screen behind him showed images of the Gorg and Yokai.
"We know the villain, who the media have taken to calling Yokai, is actually robotics scientist and teacher Professor Robert Callaghan," Rick continued as an image of Callaghan was imposed next to Yokai, "He apparently faked his death in order to steal some technology to help the alien, something called the Gorg, who had kidnapped his daughter. He's currently in San Fransokyo Penitentiary awaiting trial for his crimes."
"Sounds like this was all wrapped up with a nice little bow for us," Monger commented, "We have any info on the folks who took them down?"
"Not as much as we like," Rick answered as the screen changed to various blurry images of the group, "We haven't managed to track down their real identities yet, nor the exact nature of their powers."
"How many are supers?" Ramsbottom inquired.
"Our best guest?" Rick replied with a sigh, "One for certain."
"Only one?" Monger questioned in shock as he sat forward in his chair, "You sure?"
"We're also pretty sure another one is an alien," Rick replied with a shrug, "Probably one of those Boov who showed up with the Gorg. Beyond that, we have their overall look and build to help track them down. For now, their files are under the names the media has given them."
"And what would those be?" Ramsbottom inquired.
At the director's word, the screen changed nine headshots in a grid pattern, clearly drawn by a forensic sketch artist. Under each picture read a name. Hiro was Excelsior, Baymax was Big Guy, Fred was Kaiju, Wasabi was Lazerblade, Go Go was Torque, Honey was Miss Chemistry, Riley was Kitsune, Tip was the Driver, and Oh was Fix It. Over the whole image was a title reading Big Hero 9.
"Catchy," Monger commented with a snort, "Isn't Excelsior already taken?"
"He's retired," Rick answered with a shrug, "And you know how much people love legacies."
"So, what is this all about, Agent Dicker?" Ramsbottom questioned, "You don't seem to have much information to give us."
"I'm here to ask permission to activate the Initiative," Rick answered.
"This again, huh?" Monger questioned with wry amusement as Ramsbottom let out an aggravated sigh.
"As we've explained to you before, Agent Dicker, as much as you don't like it, the Supers Ban is still in effect," Ramsbottom stated irately, "It is up to the Anti-Villain League to protect the world from supervillain threats."
"And, with all due respect sir, it hasn't exactly worked out for us, has it?" Rick questioned as his own ire finally began to rise, "Egypt robbed of its monuments, the moon stolen out from under our noses, and now a portal opens up over San Franskoyo and dumps a alien warship on their doorstep, and we weren't able to do anything about it, just like last time."
"General Monger," Rick continued as he turned his attention towards the other man, "I know you're on my side with this. It was your plan to let the monsters fight Gallaxhar when he attacked. I'm sure you can see the sense in this."
"You're right, Rick," Monger confirmed with a nod, causing Ramsbottom to whirl around and look at him, "You have my vote of confidence."
"You can't be serious," Ramsbottom sputtered.
"Look, Silas, I know that the AVL is your baby, but you're going to have to accept that it's a failure as it is," Monger stated, "Ever since the Supers Ban, villains have been running rampant, and that's besides the fact the Ban is only nominally recognized anymore. I mean, hell, we never even got Metro Man to respect it in the first place."
"Alright, Agent Dicker," Ramsbottom said with an aggravated sigh, "What, exactly, do you plan to do with this "Initiative" of yours?"
"Simple, Director," Rick replied with a grin, "We bring them all in."
As Rick spoke, the image changed to a larger grid, adding more headshots to bring the number up to twenty one. The new pictures included a bulky blonde masked man, a masked woman with auburn hair, a young masked woman with lanky black hair, a masked teenaged boy with windswept blonde hair, a masked boy, an African American man with a blue and white cowl, a white haired young woman, a scaly, fish-like creature, a face that was a mixture between a man's and a cockroach, a gelatinous creature with a single eye, the face of a furry, moth like creature, and a man with blue skin and a bulbous head.
"Bring them all in?" Rambottom questioned as he looked over the image with a furrowed brow.
"It's like the general said," Rick explained, "The Supers Ban is only nominally enforced, so even the biggest stuffed shirt shouldn't have a problem with a team of supers working for the AVL."
"Have our cake and eat it too," Monger observed with a chuckle, "I like it."
"I can see the logic in it," Ramsbottom commented with a sigh, "Very well, Agent Dicker. We'll give your Initiative a shot on a trial basis. But know this. If this falls through, it won't be my head on the chopping block."
"Of course, sir," Rick stated dryly.
"Dismissed," Ramsbottom stated as he eyed Rick in irritation while Monger chuckled to himself. Rick nodded and left without another word.
Stepping out into a hall lit by fluorescent bulbs, Rick found a pair of woman waiting for him. One had bright red hair tied up in a bun while the other had long, platinum blonde hair that hung free. Both were dressed in suits the same shade as Rick's own.
"Agent Wilde," Rick greeted with a nod and a dull tone, "Agent Mirage."
"Hey, Rick," Wilde said cheerfully.
"How did the meeting go?" Mirage asked with smooth, almost enigmatic tone.
Rick said nothing for a moment as he looked between the two women.
"The Initiative is go," Rick stated as he turned and began walking down the hall.
"Really!?" Wilde questioned excitedly as a half smile spread across Mirage's face. Together, the two followed behind Rick and fell into step beside him.
"So, what do we do now?" Mirage inquired.
"Now?" Rick asked, adjusting his tie as he allowed a small smirk to pull at his lips, "Now, we get to work."
San Fransokyo Penitentiary
"Callaghan!" the guard standing outside his cell bellowed, causing Robert Callaghan, now dressed in a bright orange prison jumpsuit, to look up from where he sat on his bunk, "You got a visitor!"
Blinking in surprise, Callaghan quickly stood up and walked over to the cell door.
"Is it my daughter?" he asked breathlessly.
"Do I look like a messenger boy?" the guard questioned hostiley, "Hands. Now."
At the guard's order, Callaghan put his hands through the bars of the cell, allowing the guard to cuff them together before he opened the door and began leading Callaghan through the cell block. After a few minutes, they reached the door to the meeting room. Stopping at the door, the guard opened it before shoving Callaghan through and closing it behind him.
Callaghan blinked in surprise at the guard's strange behavior. Wasn't he supposed to be in here with Callaghan? And as he looked around, the former professor realized that the room was empty and mostly dark. Looking around, Callaghan observed the bank of desks with bulletproof glasses between them. As he did, he could make out a lone figure sitting at one of the desks, its features obscured by shadow.
"Abigail?" Robert questioned, but received no reply. Hesitantly, Callaghan walked over to the desk and sat down at it, trying his best to make out something about the other person through the dim light. As Callaghan watched, the figure reached out a picked up the receiver on its side of the glass, prompting him to do the same.
"H-Hello?" Robert questioned nervously.
"Hello, Professor Callaghan," the figure said, it's voice terribly distorted, sounding like a mixture between someone with an electric larynx and a text-to-speech program, "Sorry, I'm sure you were expecting someone else."
"Wh-Who are you?" Callaghan questioned.
"A friend," the figure answered, "Or, at least, I hope to be one."
"What do you want?" Callaghan pressed.
"An even exchange," the figure explained, "You help me and some other friends of mine, and I'll get you out of here."
"I….I don't want to get out of here," Callaghan argued, "I deserve to be here."
"How noble," the figure replied, his electronic voice dripping with contempt, "That was the easy way. But we can do it the hard way, if you want."
"The….The hard way?" Callaghan asked as dread began to grip his heart.
"I could give little Abigail a visit," the figure explained, "I'm sure together, the two of us could convince you."
"You bastard!" Callaghan snarled as he leapt to his feet, "You stay away from my daughter or I swear-"
Callaghan was cut off as the figure slammed his hand against the glass, causing the whole desk to shake. With his hand pressed against the glass, Callaghan could see that the hand was mechanical with an almost skeletal appearance.
"Sit. Down," the figure demanded, his anger causing its voice to become filled with what sounded like static. Callaghan obeyed.
"I don't want to involve your daughter," the figure explained, "It's terribly cliche to use another villains methods. But, what's good for the goose is good for the gander, I suppose.
"I'll do it," Callaghan said quickly, "Whatever you want, I'll do it, okay? Just leave Abigail alone. She's suffered enough because of me."
"See, I knew you could be reasonable," the figure said with a pleased tone.
"What do you want me to do?" Callaghan asked.
"For now, nothing," the figure explained as it shifted in its seat, "You'll know what to do when the time comes."
Callaghan's blood had run cold as he continued to watch the figure, his shift in position revealing a glowing red light where one of his eyes should be.
"I'm so happy we're going to be able to work together, Professor," the figure said, his glowing electronic eye seeming to stare into Callaghan's soul, "We're going to have a lot of fun together."