Chapter 46, everybody! In which stuff starts hitting the fan in earnest….

In other news, just watched Soul with my one Discord group…I liked it, but the ending felt kind of weak. I want to find out what happens with 22, dangit!

I think in my writing up on this I might be getting close to having it entirely written out…might bump it up to posting twice a week once that happens but in the meantime know that we have updates all the way past this fic's first anniversary. :D

Continuing blanket disclaimer: I still have not finished Season Two. We're flying blind, boys. And again, I am still in denial of the end of "Countdown to Catastrophe" don't at me this is how I cope, okay? D:

On that note, since I still haven't watched "City of Monsters," the how and why of Karmi finding out Dr. Amara is evil is going to be different…actually everything will be. Buckle up, kiddies. Did include bits and pieces from the chunks of Season 3 I watched though.

In other news the kids need to stop taking notes from Fenton Crackshell-Cabrera. And yeah Fred's suit is in desperate need of a deep-clean it had visible stench coming from it in the episode introducing the Skymaxes and that was back in Season One. Good news, Karate Kid saves the day. XD

On the topic of bird-kids…bird tongues are generally pointed to fit in the beaks better and because they don't have that need to form specific sounds for words (parrots, a big exception, have rounded tongues). Violet, being a hummingbird, has that long thin number that could probably lash out six inches to a foot if she were so inclined. Speaking of birds, I am about a hundred and ten percent sure the bird-kids have cockatoo DNA in them, since cockatoos LOVE to snuggle. And Violet's particular snores are based on a YouTube video I found of a hummingbird snoring—it sounds EXACTLY like Hiro describes. XD

Also encaptured is a word I don't care what Word and its little squiggly red line says I looked it up.

And while I did laugh at Baymax shorting out in "Gogo the Woweroo," Gogo has hugged kids before—Hiro in the movie, for example, which is what we're referencing here. And yeah Hiro probably made Globby a glob-proof phone (it was either him or Obake, let's be real).

Once again, wilfing comes from Guardians of Ga'Hoole. Great series, definitely give it a read. Tenku is Japanese for firmament, air, or ether, and felt fitting since it seems similar to Tengu, which are mythological Japanese bird-people. And Hiro's dramatic speech (and the chapter) did originally end without him getting tackled, but that last little bit of chapter insisted on being added. XD

Angelwings2002, thanks for the review! NOOO TADASHI! Yes Big Hero Six will definitely come save the day. Happy 2021 to you too! :D

SilverPhoenix, thanks for the review! Love that everyone basically had the same reaction to this chapter. XD

Hexyah, thanks for the review! Granville just has that presence. XD I'm sorry! D: And then—ooh, this is interesting. Let's be honest, if anyone got that, it would probably be 'Kase. Saying that, let's examine this. First, porcupine quills are made of the same stuff feathers are, keratin, so that wouldn't be too much genetic tweaking once we gave the free handwave of we can manipulate genetics like it's putty. Quills also grow back quickly—not sure how quickly, but again, genetic handwave. Now saying that, porcupines cannot actually launch their quills, despite what cartoons tell us, and then we start getting into the disparate structures of birds versus porcupines. While porcupine quills are designed to be released easily for a quick escape, bird feathers are designed to stay in because they're important to flight—the only exception I can think of are guinea fowl, who can release a big handful of feathers in order for a quick getaway (as I found out one day while trying to catch one of mine). Birds also have that issue where they lack the hemoglobin that allows for clotting, although bird-people won't have that. So what I'm thinking is, it would have to be a small thin feather, basically the quill by itself, that would probably be stiffened before use by electrical impulses so as to avoid injuring each other (kind of like how Deadly Nadders in How To Train Your Dragon lift those tail spines before throwing them) that do work like porcupine quills do where the impact is what leaves them in the target. I'm also thinking that a likely place for this to be is in the tail, which can be swung around quickly without impacting flight too much and therefore makes both ends dangerous. Now, like you said, whether or not it actually becomes a thing is up for debate, but I liked puzzling out and now that I have it'll probably show up in some bird-person-related story of mine somewhere….

Big Hero 6 © 2014 Disney

Ducktales © 2017 Disney

No, nice try smart-aleck Hiro, the machines at work said the same thing, that the feather was still weirdly a mix of human and avian DNA.

Which meant that yes, she was looking at something questionable and potentially terrifying.

Okay, she thought, glaring at nothing. The only nearby source of such a mutation would be…here, unfortunately. Glance around at her lab. Which means that somehow Dr. Amara is involved. Or—maybe it's a rogue lab technician. Yeah, that could be it. And Hiro is really Captain Cutie. Come on, Karmi, real ideas!

She could just ask, make sure to frame it as a classmate of mine found this and wanted to know what kind of bird it was from—she thought she could fluff through that explanation.

It was just that something about this felt unstable and shifting, like that thing with Professor Knox in Sublevel 9—something about Sycorax suddenly felt sinister, like she should be running and not stopping until she was on the other end of the country. Braggtech was hiring, right?

No—clench her fists. Big Hero Six wouldn't back down from this.

But they also had a team, and it was just her—she needed to be certain she could get out of this before engaging—

"And how's the favorite intern?" Chris greeted, tone sing-song and chiming as he stuck his head in. "I made cupcakes—want some?"

"Um—s-sure, Chris, that'd be great," she said, forcing a smile on her face and trying hard not to fidget. Take one of the offered cupcakes, fiddle with the paper before deciding to forge ahead. "Uh, Chris? I have a question."

"Sure thing sweet pea, what is it?"

Oh…kay. "So, a uh, a classmate asked me about this feather he found, and I was all like sure I'm in biology I can totally examine the DNA for you—except no matter what I try the DNA comes back contaminated. I don't think I'm doing it wrong, but…I really need a second opinion it's driving me nuts."

"Sure," Chris said, leaning to look at the screen. "Hmm, human and avian DNA? Sure that's not just from regular handling of it?"

"I thought that, but I've cleaned it like ten times now."

"Ah, very tricky…do you have the feather with you?"

"Yes?"

"Well then come on, we'll take it to Dr. Amara—if anyone can help you puzzle it out it's her!"

"Uh—w-well, I didn't want to—she's probably busy—"

"Nonsense—matter of fact, now would be a great time," Chris said, gesturing for her to follow—she put the cupcake aside and stood up. "She just got some really good news so she's in a super mood. Come on, and don't forget the feather honey."

Couldn't help the face she made at the back of his head as he walked out, quickly schooled her expression to a smile when he turned at the door to wait for her—grab the feather in the petri dish, take a deep breath, follow Chris….

Panic quietly as she trailed behind him.

Okay, so she was heading to confront the woman who might actually be behind the things she was confronting her about—just—play cool, play cool…breathe…think…she might have nothing to worry about. In other news, there was a sasquatch in Muirahara Woods and Professor Granville had just given her the award for most valuable student ever to attend SFIT. She was in trouble—she had to be in trouble, her stomach wouldn't be churning this way if she wasn't, especially after all the other times that had gone so well.

"It's because you're going in alone and no one knows!" Captain Cutie suggested—pictured a little chibi of him on her shoulder to take her mind off things. "You need to contact someone so if something goes down you have someone who can call for help!"

"Or HALP!" Fire Jumper suggested from her other shoulder. "Because this looks like a job for Big! Hero! SIX!"

Definitely on both counts—she needed someone else knowing she was in here, preferably hearing this…but if things went south she couldn't send an audio file….

Deep breath, steeling herself, pull out her phone, hit record, then dial Honey Lemon—the chemistry major had put her name into Karmi's phone during that thing with Globby, something at the time she had not been happy with. Now….

Now she was glad she hadn't deleted her number, because this just might be what saved her life.

"Hello?" Honey Lemon said, very faint since the phone wasn't on speaker.

"What's up?" Chris asked.

"Just sending a text to my classmate telling him I'm getting close to figuring out his feather," Karmi said, quickly pocketing the phone with her finger bouncing on speaker. Undoubtedly, Hiro had told Honey Lemon, was knee-deep in whatever had resulted in him finding said feather, hopefully Honey Lemon would know to stay on the line.

Now here was hoping this didn't go badly.


Hiro was not happy with how things were going thus far.

Let's start with the bird-kids refusing to go with Fred and Baymax and Mini-Max back to Fred's place.

"I am a superhero companion!" Mini-Max declared, currently being hugged to death by Webby. "Not a toy!"

"But my dude you're doing great with the hugging," Fred offered, trying to pick up Violet—

The absolute screeching fit that followed wasn't worth it—the moment Fred dropped her she fled to Wasabi, barking no-no-no-no and jumping up on him again—

"NO oh come on we've talked about this I'm not good with this," Wasabi yelped, automatically cupping his hands under her to support her weight. "AAAH nails nails those hurt—"

"Ick," Violet reported, pointing at Fred. "Snff-ick-ew—"

"Ah. Fred, remember how I told you that your suit smells and needs to be deep-cleaned? Uh-huh it needs to be deep-cleaned it scares small children."

"Probably definitely overdue for an airing-out," Fred said, popping out the top and sniffing at his armpit. "My dudette, it doesn't smell that bad."

Violet mimed dying, tongue dangling from her beak for full effect—long and thin, Hiro noticed.

Which was why Fred was now preoccupied with scrubbing his suit out, Wasabi supervising and offering cleaning supplies and advice when applicable (framing it as Karate-Kid-like training really cemented it).

Hiro, meanwhile, was sitting against the couch with one of his handhelds playing Wormhole—not by choice. See, initially he had been wanting to take a nap, maybe recharge—except no matter where he tried, whether in the main lab or his own, the bird-kids immediately followed and climbed up after him to flop down in a pile on and around him. One time he did spend about an hour on the couch, squashed under a bunch of bird-kids that kept up a steady stream of purring. Except for Violet—Violet snored. No wait no, that implied that it was an actual normal snoring sound she made—the actual sound was kind of like snrk-fweeeee, with the latter noise sounding like a bomb being dropped on some poor unsuspecting city from a plane. The fact that Hiro kept expecting a small boom after each noise and kept having that denied only made it more grating.

"And here I thought Honey Lemon's snoring was bad," Gogo said, when he finally declared that he had had enough and needed rescuing.

"Oh come on, she's cute," Honey Lemon said, cradling Violet—who rolled a little to snuggle against her. "Aw, look."

"I still fail to see how being encaptured helps the situation," Mini-Max declared, still wrapped tight in Webby's arms.

Webby herself was being cradled by Baymax, who blinked and looked at Mini-Max. "Hugging: makes you a better superhero companion."

Mini-Max processed this. Duly noted!" he said, freeing a hand to point up. "Mini-Maximum hugging protocol has now been logged!"

Webby's response to that was to snuggle closer to Baymax and hug Mini-Max tighter.

"Fortunately, as a robot I DO NOT feel pain!" Mini-Max continued. "Or discomfort."

"Prr," Webby noised.

But that was two bird-kids—there were still two more, who were currently on either side of Hiro and sandwiching him. Lena had watched him play his game for a bit before doing what Nox was doing and curling up against him to sleep, snoring softly. Good news: bird-kids were quiet and staying in one place. Bad news: that one place was squashed up against him and he couldn't exactly move and dangit he had wanted a nap was that too much to ask? At least he had something that didn't require too much brain activity to focus on and was distracting enough to keep him from thinking about…dangit.

"We still need a plan for what to do with these kids," Honey Lemon said, sitting down on the couch near where Hiro was sitting. He sighed, turned his game off, cradled it in his lap as he went over their options.

"There's still like sixteen more of them out there," he said finally. "And we agree Sycorax is responsible and probably did something…maybe the first thing is getting them away from Sycorax. After that…I don't know, out of San Fransokyo. Maybe there's a bird preservation place that doesn't ask a lot of questions."

"Hiro."

"Sorry—sorry, I'm trying," Hiro said, rubbing his eyes.

Honey Lemon adjusted her hold on Violet so she could reach over and squeeze his shoulder. "We know, Hiro—maybe you try too much, sometimes?"

"Hmm?"

"She means get some sleep, we'll brainstorm," Gogo ordered, pointing a wrench at him—grabbed a pillow from the couch closest to her and chunked it at him. Hiro made a face at her, punched the pillow a few times before managing to worm his way free enough of the bird-kids to lay down with said pillow and try for some shuteye—grimaced at the bird-kids snuggling close again seconds later.

"Aww," Honey Lemon said softly.

"Not aww," Hiro insisted. Okay, no thinking, just sleep, focus on the warm and just drift off….

Splat!

"AHI'MUP!" he yelped, catapulting upright and startling Lena and Nox awake.

"What on earth was that?" Gogo demanded, looking around.

"Hi!"

Baymax looked up, as did they, to see Globby waving from one of the skylights. "That: was Globby," he announced.

"Thanks, Baymax," Hiro groaned, watching the villain-turned-hero slip through the skylight to puddle on the floor and reform. "Hi, Globby."

"Yo what's up?" Globby greeted.

"Globby!" Wasabi exclaimed, causing everyone to start and stare at him. "We could have Globby do hero work while we have midterms!"

"I mean I am ready," Globby said, assuming a superhero pose. "Oh wait that's not why I'm here—there's totally a thing that needs Big Hero Six—"

"Ah-ah-ah-ah!" Fred barked, jumping up and waving his hands. "Secret identities—you gotta respect those."

Globby blinked at him, looked down at his superhero outfit, back up at Fred, indicated the outfit. "I mean you are cleaning your suit out in the open and all."

Fred considered this. "Okay you know what that's fair."

"Beh," Lena declared, looking Globby up and down.

"Oh yeah and while we've got you here—presenting a successful case of the ten-step program: Globby!"

"Hi," Globby said, waving. "Wait, there was a program?"

"Kinda was ironing out the kinks while working with you, sorry."

"You…seem really unconcerned with the bird-people in the room," Hiro observed.

"I mean I am a glob-monster so the bar's set kinda high," Globby offered. "But that reminds me! That's why I'm here—there's these other bird-people who totally need your help—"

Nox popped up. "'Dashi?"

"Yeah one of them did have that in their name."

Hiro didn't need Nox grabbing him and bouncing up and down, cheeping excitedly, didn't need to exchange startled glances with Honey Lemon—Tadashi. Clone or not, they were ridiculously close—

He wanted to meet them.

"Wait," Hiro said, blinking—looked at Globby. "Do they know? Y'know…."

"No, of course not, I was respecting the superhero code," Globby said, giving Fred a pointed look.

Fred's response was to put a hand up. "High five."

"Uh, ew," Wasabi said, as Honey Lemon fished in her pocket for her ringing phone. Look down—

Scoop Violet up quickly. "Uh MEGA ew we don't lick Globby."

"That is weirdly not the first time that's happened today," Globby said.

"But the bird-people," Hiro said. "They're uh—th-they're wanting to meet Big Hero Six?"

"Yup—oh wait I need to call Carl and find out where we're meeting."

"I have questions," Wasabi said when Globby pulled out a phone and paced away, dialing.

"Mighta helped machine a phone up for him when he was job-hunting," Hiro muttered, glancing away from the bird-kids tackling each other excitedly. Hoped the smile he gave Gogo when she put a hand to his shoulder wasn't too weak and watery.

"Hey," she said, getting on eye-level with him and forcing him to look her in the eye. "We got this. Whatever this is, we're tackling it together."

"To the power of six!" Fred declared.

Wasabi put his hand to Hiro's other shoulder. "We get it, this is going to be mega painful. We're here for you, okay?"

Hiro scrubbed at his face—he was tired, that was totally why his eyes were watering and his throat felt too tight. "Thanks, guys." Hugged Gogo when she hugged him, feeling warm and safe in the ensuing group hug, no matter how brief—

"Guys!" Honey Lemon called, sounding strained.

They broke, hastened over to her in concern. "What is it?" Wasabi asked.

Honey Lemon put a finger to her lips, pushed speaker on her phone.

"Well this is an interesting piece you've brought me."

They all stiffened at the voice—Liv Amara. But how—

"I'm really sorry to bother you with it," Karmi said. "I feel like I'm just missing some sort of calibration—"

"Oh no, hon, you were right to bring it to me." And something in that honeyed tone made the hair on the back of Hiro's neck bristle. "Where did you say you got it?"

"Uh, guys—" Globby said, coming over—was shushed quickly.

"Uh, classmate of mine found it on the way to school, he said—I think he's in like a bird club or something, wanted my help in identifying it," Karmi said, surprising Hiro—he would have thought she'd have thrown him under the bus, even with them listening in.

"Really," Liv Amara said, not sounding convinced.

"Well apparently it could have been a couple of different birds, that's why he asked for help."

"And you offered yours—you're so sweet." Honeyed tone dripped away, leaving cold steel exposed. "But I'm going to need more than that—name, where he found it—"

"Uh—I don't know—we don't really talk. I think he sits behind me in one of my classes?"

"Hmm, it's not that Hamada boy, is it?" Liv asked, causing Hiro's stomach to flip.

"Ew no," Karmi said quickly—almost too quickly. "Like I'd help him."

"That's good to hear." The noise of movement, like Liv was circling around the desk. "But I'm going to need details, Karmi. Certainly you can give it to me—between us girls?"

"I don't—" Pause, almost hedging, almost terrified. "Uh, w-what's Chris doing with the door?"

"Nothing, hon, just ensuring we have privacy for our girl talk."

"But Chris is still here."

"Chris is very discreet. Now, about your friend and this feather—"

"Not a friend—really just a classmate—"

"Then his identity shouldn't be so much of a secret, now should it?"

"I don't—it's just a feather, isn't it? Why is it such a big deal?"

"Ah, Karmi—I think you know why this feather is such a big deal. Your friend?"

Silence—Karmi just tell her, he could handle whatever she threw at him—

"I. Do not. Know him," Karmi said firmly. "We're classmates—I barely knew he existed before this morning." Pause like she was rallying herself. "And yeah, I think I do know why this is such a big deal—that feather came from something YOU made!"

Hiro was pretty sure he could have heard that feather drop just then.

"Oh?" Liv asked, tone dangerous.

"Yeah," Karmi spat. "Human and bird DNA in a single feather, something I couldn't split apart no matter how many tests I ran? And come to think of it, the Mayoi, Professor Knox, High Voltage—it's kind of funny that all these problems tailor-made for you to solve keep popping up, don't you think?"

No—no Karmi—

"You're gutsy, Karmi," Liv said finally. "But right now gutsy isn't what I'm looking for. I'm sure we can get you to share this boy's name though."

"She texted him before coming here," Chris sounded. "It should be on her phone."

"Good boy. Fetch."

Hiro's stomach tied in knots at hearing Karmi bark no stay away from me LET GO!—was about to do something drastic, he didn't know what—

"Oh look at this, she's got a call going," Chris observed. "Been going for a while. Hello little boy, enjoying the show? We're coming for you, you know that right?"

"RUN!" Karmi yelled. "GET HELP! CALL SOMEONE! ANYONE!"

"Now Karmi, indoor voice," Liv said—the sound of a scuffle, silence—

"He's right, you know," Liv said suddenly. "I don't know who you think you are, but I can guess. Hiro Hamada, right?"

Hiro grit his teeth, opened his mouth to speak—was stopped by Gogo.

"We're coming for you, little boy," Liv said, any pretense at cordiality gone. "You, that little café of yours, your friends, your aunt, and that little cat she owns. I'd say maybe think twice the next time you stick your nose where it doesn't belong, but when I'm done with you you'll be lucky if you still have that appendage. Sweet dreams." The sound of the phone being tossed to the ground, the order to break it—

A crunch—

Call ended.

Dead silence, stretching until Hiro was certain he would break—

"Oh no," Baymax declared.

"Yeah," Wasabi squeaked. "Yeah that's—that's not good."

"Oi she's vile," Globby said. "I mean I didn't think I'd ever meet someone who'd top Mister I'm gonna destroy the city with a star but boy—"

Hiro shook his head, couldn't help but glance at Nox at the mention of Obake—

All four bird-kids were squashed against each other, cowering under a table and wilfed to nothing, staring at the phone like it was the embodiment of evil.

Maybe for them it was.

Hesitate—go over to them, kneel down—heart aching at their terrified expressions, the way they looked at him.

"That was her, wasn't it?" he asked. "The person who did this to you, who attacked the others in the forest—that was Liv Amara, wasn't it?"

They nodded, ginger and tight, still pressed against each other as tightly as they could, feathers pressed tight against their skin as they clung to each other—

"I am starting to feel moderate discomfort," Mini-Max announced, Webby squeezing him tight enough that Hiro almost thought he could see his armor denting.

"Uh," Globby noised, prompting them to look at him. "Not to, you know, make things worse 'n all, but ah…." Point at his phone. "I just called Carl, and some guys kidnapped one of the bird-people, but they think they're heading for Sycorax…I don't know this got really messed up we were supposed to just be seeing a movie today."

"That's how the dramatic days always start, bro," Fred said, patting Globby on the shoulder.

Hiro couldn't help exchanging glances with the rest of them, worried, terrified—looked back at the bird-kids that looked like the world was coming to an end around their ears. Deep breath—

"Are there still other bird-people with Carl?" he asked.

"Uh, yeah," Globby said.

Summon some steel, rally himself—

Someone has to help.

Nod. "Tell Carl to meet us at Tenku[KW1] Plaza. Big Hero Six has a date with Sycorax."

"'Dashi?" Webby squeaked.

Nod again. "'Dashi, Karmi…we have to save them. We have to stop Liv Amara."

"Sold!" Globby cheered, getting back on the phone as Fred dove for his costume.

Hiro, meanwhile, had the newly recurring problem of bird-people not leaving him alone.

"My dramatic speech would have been a lot better if it didn't end like this," he huffed as Gogo came over, careful of the bird-kids pressed against him.

She smirked at him as she handed him his helmet. "I think you'll live."

Huff at her, look at his reflection in his visor….

Nox cheeped at him, confused.

This is it, he thought. This is it. There's no more putting it off—this is when we find out for certain if it's really…if there's a bird-Tadashi.

And he couldn't put it off anymore—forget personal discomfort, there were people on the line, real people, people who hadn't asked for any of this—

Karmi, who was in the danger she was in because of him.

Okay, he thought—deep breath before pulling his helmet on. This is it—time to face down Liv Amara. Time to save Karmi and the bird-people.

Time to be a hero.