As it should happen, Ms. Cass did eventually bring up cookies. Benefits of living in a cafe, Jack supposed. But they were received with a chorus of distracted "Thanks" that followed her down the stairs.

Jack was leaning over Hiro's desk, with one hand on the back of his chair while the other trailed a line of a seemingly inconspicuous numbers.

"See? There! And there too."

"What? What about it?" Hiro squinted hard at the screen, mouth pursed and pressed against his fist as he searched for the blemish in his work. "As far as I can tell these are all perfectly accurate models."

"That's just it! They're perfect. The lines rise and fall exactly where they should and even the number increases are borderline proportional. "

At this point Hiro just looked at Jack like he was crazy.

Which. Point Taken.

Hiro's mechanic precision is exactly what helped to him to succeed as well as he did. 'Perfect' wasn't the exception, it was the rule. But whereas that fit in engineering, the numbers in social studies were considerably less well behaved.

But how to explain that without insulting Hiro's work?

Jack straightened and returned to his spot on the bed. He pulled up his feet and leaned back on his hands so he looked casual and less confrontational. "Did you say that those numbers were pulled from online surveys?"

"Most of them, yeah." Hiro frowned. "Well. Some of them. I didn't get as much data as I had hoped from the surveys and the answers were too varied so I incorporated some statistics as well to bulk up the research."

Bingo.

"Statistics?" Jack pitched his voice higher, like he didn't know what statistics were. "Based of what? Past numbers?"

"Well not exactly. They're based off pre-recorded data that can be interpolated forward. It's impossible to predict future records to any measure of accuracy so I fell back on precedence instead. Why?"

Now the tricky part. There was a moment before Jack opened his mouth when panic seized him. Even when Hiro looked at Jack with his ruffled hair, crumpled clothes, and a face scrunched in confusion, Hiro's intellect was intimidating.

What if Jack was about to say something stupid? What if he just didn't understand the calculations and nothing was actually wrong? He would have cast all this doubt and asked for new surveys and in the end it would have been for no reason at all. It would be insulting to Hiro. Maybe he should just not say anything and let the prodigy do his work.

Capable in ways I am not.

Those had been Hiro's words. Not Jacks. Maybe he couldn't add new wisdom, or insight, or some genius revelation. All he had to offer was his own perspective. But that was enough. They both saw the world differently. Experienced the world differently. Which was a comfort in its own way. Because no matter how smart Hiro Hamada was, he would never have the perspective of Jack Overland.

Jack took a breath. And opened his mouth. "Well… Stop me if I'm wrong, but if you just use pre-recorded data on population travel isn't that just projecting past data to make future assumptions? Its not taking into account any relevant factors like holidays or road construction or, I don't know, airplane's being down for mechanical reasons. Without factoring in any of those, all you'll get is some arbitrary number that may or may not be true, right?"

Hiro had turned back to his screens, the tiny rows of numbers reflected in his squinted eyes. Jack felt himself growing warm. He couldn't tell if he was feeling embarrassed or pretentious because he wasn't sure if what he said was smart or stupid yet. Hiro still wasn't saying anything, so he went on. "I mean Hiro…this is impressive and its…I mean its not BAD data but its not based off anything true, theres nothing real in this. In any of it. Its speculations on speculations until it doesn't really represent reality at all. That's why it looks so neat."

"But that's how its supposed to look." Hiro thrust his hands toward the screen, than grabbed his mouse and began scrolling through articles and spreadsheets faster than Jack's eyes could follow. "According to all my pre-existing knowledge of travel expectancy and sociological behavior these are the ideal ranges. All business companies and travel agencies are planning their entire enterprise based off projections like these. Does that not make it the right answer?"

"No. It doesn't." In the face of all the stats, Jack felt himself smile. This one wasn't a smile to win someone over, or deceive anybody. This was a smile for himself.

"You have to give people the space to surprise you."

Hiro finally turned away from the screens and looked at Jack. Understanding seemed to leak in. He slumped back in his chair, which creaked in protest. "Fine. The numbers might be a bit too idealistic." And though Hiro grumbled, a smile was pulling at his face. He swiveled his chair to Jack and arced a brow. "What would you suggest?"

Something swelled in Jack's chest that he didn't think on too long. After all he shouldn't feel this proud receiving approval from a fifteen year old. But he did feel proud, even if it was only in the back of his mind and in the press under his ribcage.

He allowed himself to lean forward now, elbows on knees. A position of excitement, engagement. He was a part of it now.

"Listen, I get you like to be all fast and digital and Q from James Bond and stuff-" Hiro shrugged in concession "-but theres a reason only so much can be done from the warehouse lab. Sometimes the only way to get to the real answers is to go in and just ask yourself. In person. Gross I know." Jack chuckled a little when Hiro groaned and hung his head over the back of his chair.

Hiro pressed his palms into his eyes, and Jack could tell he reveled in the whine in his voice. "That takes so much time. And we'll have to find people to ask and then actually go there and-" Hiro shot up suddenly. All play gone from his expression.

"Go there. We could always just go..just to ask. You know thats kind of revolutionary in its own way?" This last part was said to Jack while Hiro's eyes burned with an undue intensity.

Jack for his part had no idea what had caused such a shift. "Uh…yeah. I know. I'm thinking of going for a Nobel Prize. Wanna calculate my odds?"

But Hiro was paying him no mind. "Go in and ask," He was muttering to himself, swiveling back to his screens. "We could just…go in and ask!"

"Yep," Jack's tone was wry. "That is what I just said."

Hiro seemed to remember Jack was there. "Huh? Oh. No! Not about the tourist- never-mind. No wait!" Hiro then studied Jack over his shoulder and his eyes were narrowed to slits but shining almost feverishly. It reminded Jack of the way Hiccup would look at some of his mechanical creations in the seconds before everything finally clicked into place and worked smoothly…or blew up.

Jack decidedly did not like the look directed at him.

"Hey…" Hiro's voice was soft. Like 'Jack talking to kids about to get shot' soft. "You're good with people right?"

"I mean..," Jack swallowed hard. "I mean I guess… Why?"

Hiro hit a key on his board and a giant blue circle filled the screen releasing a trilling sound into the air. It took Jack a moment to realize he was dialing someone.

"What are you-" Jack started, but then there was a face filling the monitor. It was the same man that Hiro had been talking to when Jack had first arrived. What had Hiro called him? Something strange…Wallas? Weston?

"Wasabi!" Hiro said.

Ah.

"You said earlier you found a list of potential hits right?"

Wasabi was crossing his arms and pulling what seemed to be a rather effective pout for a man of his size. "Oh so now you want to hear about them?"

Hiro's smile turned sheepish but no less eager. "Sorry. You know Aunt Cas has no reservations against bodily harm if I don't get my homework done before my 'Rock'em Sock'em shenanigans'."

Jack wanted to point out that technically their homework still wasn't done. But he felt like he was being allowed to see something most people weren't. A side of Hiro no one knew about. So he carefully uncrossed his legs and scooted to the edge of the bed. He tried not to draw attention to himself for fear that whatever was starting, brewing in this room might stop if they did.

"'Rock'em Sock'em?'" Wasabi laughed, it was loud and proud and shook his whole body, pout forgotten. "Dude I haven't seen one of those in…Honestly I don't think I've ever seen one in real life. Is that what she calls your bot fighting?"

"Honestly that's what she calls anything that I'm doing in front of a computer that doesn't look like essay writing."

That made even Jack chuckle and both Hiro and Wasabi looked at him. Jack froze, but Hiro only snapped his fingers. "Right." He turned back to Wasabi. "So. Hits?"

"Who is he?" Wasabi waved politely, but his tone was clear he wasn't about to divulge anything without knowing.

"I'll get to that in a second. Don't worry. First I need to know if we have any addresses yet."

For a prickling few seconds Wasabi leaned in close to the screen, presumably to get a better look at Jack, but his stature made him swell and fill the lens to an intimidating capacity. Or as intimidating as one could look through a 720p laptop camera. Then as if nothing had happened Wasabi suddenly shrugged and sat back, reaching for something outside of the camera frame.

When he was back in screen he was wearing glasses that had no wire frames and looked rather like a green visor, but blue text could be seen flashing in the bottom corner of the left lens.

"Yeah, the program finished right before you so rudely cut me off."

Wasabi arced a taunting brow at Hiro and Jack realized whatever test that had just been, he had clearly passed. That thing, that feeling of pride and acceptance, rose again, and Jack let himself touch it gently just for a moment… since it wasn't a fifteen year old this time.

Hiro, for his part, ignored the prodding. "How many? Can you pin them?"

Jack took note that his voice was deeper in a way, or as deep as it could be for a boy his age, and that Hiro was even sitting a little straighter. Hiro was swapping aside the articles he had pulled up earlier and instead was opening some sort of mapping program to span the distance of one of the larger monitors. His motions were even more confident and assured then Jack had ever seen him. Even walking around campus. Even in the middle of test. He moved with the same intentionality that Doctors in Corona Hospital moved with on their way to surgery rooms. Whatever this was that Wasabi and Hiro were working on, it meant a lot to Hiro. And in a way that was bigger than just pride, this was important.

"It looks like theres about seven," Wasabi leaned again out of frame and when he had returned a bag of Pork Rinds was in his hands.

Well.

"Important" was always relative. They were still college students afterall.

Wasabi absentmindedly placed two on his tongue but he had the grace to cover his mouth when he spoke. "Three of those would be priority. Gimme a sec and I can upload them."

There was a handkerchief folded carefully on the corner of Wasabi's desk and he wiped his fingers before typing while Hiro faked a retching sound.

"I still can't believe that you of all people eat that."

Wasabi shrugged, but his eyes didn't stray from whichever monitor he was typing on. "I'm not proud of it."

Hiro snorted and a few short seconds later seven push pin graphics appeared on the map display. Four of them were yellow but three were a questioning pink. The map displayed a very generous birds eye view of the city of Corona. Jack stood and when Hiro, who was also studying the map, didn't protest, Jack drew closer. He still had the feeling he was seeing something he shouldn't.

The satellite image was impressively clear and Jack had no problem identifying landmarks such as Corona University, the main shopping strip downtown, or even his own townhouse rental a few roads off from the hospital. But the map spread wider still and he could even see where the urban began to fade into more rural zones until it was almost all forestry and highways streaking off into other cities beyond.

Jack wasn't sure if the original scale of the map was intentional on Hiro's part, but it ended up being beneficial because shockingly enough, the seven push-pins that had appeared needed that expanse. They were in no way located within proximity to each other and in a sense were almost so far apart as to seemingly have no correlation at all.

Hiro, of course, had seemed to come to this conclusion already. "These are the proper residences?"

Wasabi had leaned back in his chair and had resumed eating his Pork Rinds as delicately as one could eat Pork Rinds. "Yep. Of course we still have no actual footage of the victims that confirms it, but I double checked all the names that were listed on G.A. list and these are, for sure, their homes."

Jack had been following along idly, still tracing a finger between the push-pins on the monitor and trying to draw possible connections between them - to no success - when the weight of Wasabi's words pierced him. He lurched towards the monitor with the video call so fast he kicked over a pile of haphazardly stacked textbooks and handouts that had been sitting at the foot of Hiro's bed. "Did you say victims? Did you say G.A.R.D? As in friendly neighborhood SWAT dudes kinda G.A.R.D? Or is this a different G.A.R.D?"

Hiro had jumped out of his seat to try to catch the toppling tower of homework and was slowly standing with the rescued top half of the stack in his arms. "G.A.R.D stands for Global Assoc-"

"I know what it stands for." Jack said, not unkindly. Though his gaze did not leave Wasabi's face in the screen suddenly all he could see was Rapunzel's face a few days ago when the agent had come to speak to her. He was thrown back to three years ago when he had first seen her on the news and all he could think was how small she looked behind that tall witness stand. How pale. How those bruises had screamed against skin that hadn't seen the sun in so long.

Victims…That had been Wasabi's words.

Jack's fingers tightened on the back of Hiro's chair.

He thought once on Hiro's warning from earlier, "You should be careful what you ask… theres some stuff in this city you might not really want to know."

Then Jack asked anyway, "What's going on?"

Hiro didn't look at him. And Wasabi for his part smiled, politely, diplomatically, but he was steadfastly silent as he flicked his gaze over to Hiro. Though there was something unusually deferential about his gaze - given that he must have been older than Hiro by at least a couple years - his intentions were clear: He'd given his information, it was Hiro's turn.

Hiro set the rest of the retrieved homework on the desk. Something about him, his voice, his look, his stance, was somehow… Older. Like that moment back on the stairs.

Finally Hiro looked at him. That fevered look was back in his eyes. But instead of answering Jack, Hiro said, "Jack, how would you feel about becoming our James Bond?"