Safe in Brother's Wings Chapter 52: Communication, a DuckTales + Big Hero 6 Crossover fanfic

Chapter 52, everybody! When the chapter count says I've been posting for a year and yet the one-year anniversary isn't until next week. X'D

So as with all my fics, the climax and ending give me grief sometimes because aaaah sitting down and writing it aaaah—so I sat my happy butt down last night and wrote out the outline for the last chapters so I know where everything I want to have in there will go…oh boy guys it's about to get INTENSE.

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: And now Ducktales is in its final episodes….As I said before, send all salt to Disney corporate every nastygram they get that represents fifteen people who couldn't be bothered so WRITE TO THEM.

In other news Felony Carl is a good man and I love him…and yeah an ambulance probably wouldn't be allowed to go off with siren blaring for a cat but shh. And yes please let one of the CSIs look like Nick Stokes from CSI: Las Vegas we've already got a guy named Warren. :D

So…kinda found out that Cruz was anti-vigilante early on, he pretty much made it clear in his first episode, and I THINK that when I first wrote this scene or first planned it I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt—like there's some valid reasons for a policeman to not be hot on vigilantes, starting with it could promote anarchy and doesn't have the legal safety nets regular police actions do to are you kidding me have you SEEN Captain Cutie I swear my DAUGHTER is older and she's FOURTEEN no I don't want that kid fighting bad guys THAT IS AN ADULT'S JOB. And then…I saw some of his later scenes and…I swear this dude needs some therapy he could have been a cool foil to Hiro handling grief like Obake was Hiro's foil on limits what happened people.

Anyway, that is why we fanfic, and…Aunt Cass would totally hide a body let's be real here. Also Warren needs a raise.

Tadashi ragging on New Jersey comes from an episode of Baby Daddy (he's quoting Ben Wheeler there) while the New York and Pennsylvania comment comes from my own travels up there I apologize to anyone who happens to live in one of those states. ^^; In other news…Tadashi is wanting to rant at everybody and Hiro's busy going ain't nobody got time for that. X'D

Angelwings2002, thanks for the review! Which, according to my e-mails, is the fic's hundredth review! Congratulations! :D YES—Tadashi being such a big bro and Della showing that Duck Rage. :D YES get ready.

Hexyah, thanks for the review! Oh yeah, hats are serious business. And I am both sorry and happy I made you cry sorry. Oh they're coming and it's going to be GOOD.

Nightfrightpony, thanks for the review! I'm working on it! :D

SilverPhoenix, thanks for the review! Yes—yes Hiro knows he doesn't want to but he does—and the snark and the kids and I SWEAR I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO THE TADASHI SNARK FOR SO LONG it was GOOD to get it out finally. :D Ah, thank you! *screams with you*

Felony Carl sat at the edge of Sycorax's parking lot, looking up at the sickly green edifice that was the lab proper. Gave him bad vibes, he'd have to do some cleansing when they were done here. Look down at the slippery squelching noises that was Globby bouncing back over to him.

"I've been around the entire building—it's locked tighter than a drum," he reported. "There's a grate off the side that looks like someone used it to get in, but even that's shut now."

"I don't like this," Carl declared.

"Me neither," Globby said, looking up at the building. "I haven't tried the roof yet, but everything ground level's shut tight—I don't think anyone made it out."

Silence as they considered their options.

"We could call the police," Carl suggested finally.

"Oh yeah—and what are we going to tell them?" Globby asked, glaring at him. "Hi, just a couple of dudes sitting in a parking lot after hours, we saw Big Hero Six go into Sycorax and we're pretty sure it's like a den of evil and they need backup so come on over? We need real ideas, Carl."

"That's still a real idea," Carl pointed out. "I hear the new chief hates Big Hero Six, would drop everything to come running over—he breaks in, sees all the lousy stuff going on, helps save the day."

"It feels like a stretch," Globby insisted.

Silence.

"We don't have any other options, do we?" Globby asked.

"Not really," Carl said, shrugging.

Globby sighed. "I'll try getting in from the roof—you call the police."

"On it," Carl said, already fishing in his vest.

Cass was bandaged up and Mochi was given the once-over by one of the medics, who said they didn't feel anything broken but that Mochi should probably be taken to a vet to make sure.

It was a little funny, watching an ambulance speed away knowing it was for a cat, currently wrapped up in a blanket and being cradled by one of the EMTs.

But that was only one of her concerns right now.

Dodge around cops that tried to stop her, angling for Cruz—who spotted her and waved her over.

"I thought you went in that ambulance," he told her.

"They're taking Mochi to our emergency vet," she told him. Jerk her head at the white van. "So what is it? Were they planning a kidnapping?"

She had half-meant it as a joke, knew it wasn't from the expression on his face. "Who were these people?" she asked.

"Nobody you want to mess with," he said, looking at several police cruisers with dark shapes in the back. "They didn't look set to surrender until they had a lot of guns pointed at them."

"It looks like they're from Sycorax," one officer in the back of the van reported, bagging things—did that make him a CSI? Oh please let one of them look like Nick Stokes. "Their symbol is all over the place."

"Why would Sycorax have a van parked here?" Cruz asked.

"I don't know, but look at this," the officer said, holding up what looked like a sci-fi gun and a tiny dart. "This shoots this—I'm thinking some kind of tranquilizer. And with the ropes and zip ties—pretty sure we just rocked up to a kidnapping in progress."

Cass felt lightheaded, something clanging in her head—

"Woah, woah," Cruz said, holding her shoulders and guiding her down. "Sit down, head between the knees—there we go, good girl—"

Good? What was good about this? She had nearly been kidnapped to do who-knew-what to—and Hiro—Hiro would have gone right by this van—

Hiro.

"Please," she breathed, finally bringing herself to look up. "Tell me you've found Hiro."

Cruz's grim expression told her everything she needed to know.

"Don't panic," he told her, squeezing her arms gently. "As far as we know he's out horsing around with his friends and perfectly safe. Come on, up you get, we'll get you to the vet and after that cat of yours—Warren you think you—"

"Chief!" an officer called. "Chief—we just got a tip—Big Hero Six just broke into Sycorax!"

They both froze, staring—Big Hero Six—and of all places, Sycorax—

Where this van had come from.

They looked at each other—she grabbed his forearms before he could pull away, made him look her in the eye.

"I know how you feel about them," she said flatly. "But they don't do anything without good reason. They're good guys, Diego, and I think you can agree that this—" Broad gesture at the van. "Makes Sycorax the bad guys here."

Diego looked like he was having a fierce internal debate—

"Warren," he said, looking at the officer that came over. "Take Cass here to the vet."

Warren blinked. "You mean the emergency room."

"Her cat is at the vet. You, you, and you—take those goons to the station. The rest of you—call in the SWAT team, we're going to Sycorax."

Cass grabbed his arm before Warren could bundle her off or Cruz could walk away, squeezed his bicep lightly. "Diego—"

He hugged her, held her at arms' length. "We'll still keep looking for Hiro, don't worry."

She couldn't help but glance at the van again. She couldn't raise Hiro on the phone, he and his friends were missing—

What if those goons had buddies who had already snatched him?

Diego put his hands on either side of her neck, ran a thumb over her jawline as he made her look at him.

"We. Will. Find him," he insisted. "And regardless of my feelings about vigilantes—I still have a bone to pick with that company."

She tried to smile at him, couldn't bring herself to do it—put a hand up, patted his cheek before bringing it down to his neck.

"If anything happens to Hiro, you're going to be the body I'm hiding," she told him.

He coughed, like he realized laughing wouldn't be good in this situation and had to hold it in. "No threatening the police chief where his officers can hear."

"I heard nothing," Warren said.

"I think you need to give Warren a raise," Cass observed.

"I think so too."

Cruz started moving away, pointing at Warren. "You—you we're having a conversation later. Take care of her—we'll be back," he told her.

"You'd better," she threatened.

Warren patted her arm gently. "Come on—hanging around here isn't going to change anything."

She swallowed hard, nodded—watched Cruz drive off before letting herself be led away.

Please, she begged skywards. Please, let Hiro be all right.

I can't lose him too.

Good news: they had found a way out of that room and were off again.

Bad news: Hiro had been unable to hack into the mainframe and kill the biometric tracker. Neither had Tadashi.

Worse news: Hiro was right, their comms were out. For now, at least, they were on their own.

"You know what?" the Momakase-clone 'Kase said, flapping her wing-arms slightly as she trailed after them. "I'm thinking we go with my original plan: get out and don't stop until we hit Jersey."

"You don't want to go to Jersey," Tadashi told her. "No one willingly goes to Jersey."

"She'd never look there."

Tadashi looked like he wanted to argue the point, couldn't, worked his mouth a little like he did when trying to find an alternative argument. "Jersey smells."

"So does New York and Pennsylvania."

"Yeah hi, can we focus please?" Hiro asked. "Because right now the only helpful bird-people here are the girls." Who, by the way, were sneaking up on another turning and peeking around, Violet with her beak wide open before closing it and flicking her tongue in and out.

"Fwee," she reported, looking at them.

"She can't tell," 'Kase reported. "She says the air tastes too samey."

"Probably recycled air," Tadashi said.

"So you understand what they're saying?" Hiro asked.

"'Kase does. She's been translating this whole trip."

"You'd think you'd appreciate me more," she said stiffly.

Tadashi's response was cut off by a crackling that made everyone jump, the bird-kids flashing back to Tadashi and Baymax—

"Hiro!"

"Wait!" Hiro barked, worming his way out of Tadashi's grasp, bouncing on the floor once before scrabbling for the walkie-talkie on his belt. "Hey!"

What sounded like a sigh of relief, and then Honey Lemon was speaking. "Hiro, are you all right?"

"Yeah fine—Fred was right about the walkie-talkies."

"Don't tell Fred that he's insufferable enough as-is," Gogo said.

Jab a finger against Tadashi's mouth, shushing him before he could leap in with the tirade he was obviously warming up. "Can you get him or Wasabi? Where are you guys?"

"We're in the visitor's center," Honey Lemon said. "We should be able to find our way to Sublevel Nine from here, but the doors are all locked."

"Yeah, we're working on that," Hiro said, looking around before waving for the rest of them to follow—point at Tadashi warningly when he looked like he was about to comment. "Baymax?"

Baymax looked around, back at him. "My scanners are still non-functional."

"Figures," Hiro said, lifting the walkie-talkie up out of Violet's reach. Violet sniffed at it, sniffed at the air—

Whistled and pointed, causing Hiro to look blankly at 'Kase.

"Your friends are that way," she offered.

"Hiro, who's with you?" Gogo asked.

"We can start with the bird-kids are grounded," Hiro said, narrowing his eyes at Lena, who narrowed her eyes back.

"Good luck with that one," Tadashi muttered.

Silence on the walkie-talkie for a long moment.

"Hiro, how far away from us are you?" Honey Lemon asked, sounding strained.

"No idea—I think we're on the right track though?" Hiro guessed, following Violet.

"We'll wait here a few minutes," Gogo said. "You be careful—"

"Gogo look out!" Honey Lemon yelped—

"Guys? Guys?" Hiro squawked, shaking the walkie-talkie like he could shake a fresh comment out—

Looked at the others, Tadashi's feathers perfectly telegraphing the current mood right now.

"Oh no," Baymax said, giving the verbal version.

Everything took a back burner—run after Violet, who paused at every intersection before picking a path and running—

Skid to a halt in a larger room, Violet backing up, tail curled around her haunches, whimpering as she tried to see everywhere at once—

Why became clear as something lumbered out of the darkness, lurching like it wasn't quite used to its body, one foot dragging—

And then it came into enough light to see it by, revealing a huge maw of sharp teeth set in a blunt head the size of a Volkswagen's front end—

One of Liv Amara's monsters.

They backed up, Hiro with his arms out, Tadashi pushing Hiro behind him, also trying to shield everyone else—

Lena shrieked, alerting them to the fact that there was more—

And prompting the first one to charge.

"Aaah! Baymax! Rocket fist!" Hiro yelped, already scrambling back—

The monster went off-target from a rocket-fist square to the snoot, went skidding—the rest of them had to scramble forward and over when the hall behind them had a door slam shut—bird-kids screamed, darting everywhere—

Hiro leaped for Baymax's back. "Get the kids and get out of here!"

"Hiro no!" Tadashi barked, catching his wrist. Hiro glanced back, seeing his brother's desperate expression—the thought of losing him, when he had just gotten him back—

Deep breath. "Someone has to help," he said, hating that his voice shook. "Baymax and I can handle these guys—you take the kids and go. We got this."

The way Tadashi's breathing shifted, the way his eyes were darting all over Hiro's face, the way his grip tightened—Hiro could almost hear the thought process, of no this is my little brother I can't—

"I can do this," Hiro insisted.

One last squeeze—

And then Tadashi let go.

"Be careful," Tadashi said thickly. "Baymax?"

"I will exercise caution," Baymax assured him.

"What else would I be?" Hiro asked, trying for diffident and knowing he was failing. "Baymax!"

Baymax surged forward, slamming a fist into a monster trying to catch Lena—Hiro shot several magnets at one pursuing Nox, causing it to slam against a nearby beam—

Violet was darting and buzzing among the remaining monsters, Webby on the head of one and scratching its face all to shreds, shrieking furiously with feathers all on end—was snatched off by 'Kase, who ran down a side hall, Tadashi taking one last desperate look at him before grabbing Nox and running—

Hiro breathed out, not sure if it was relief or something else—looked at Violet when Baymax angled up. "You go after them," he ordered, pointing down the hall. Violet hesitated, nodded, buzzed away. "Okay…Baymax? What do you say to making a new door?"

Baymax blinked at him. "That would be property damage."

"I've got news for you, buddy," Hiro said, patting him on the head. "She's trying to kill us—any worry about property damage just went right out the window."

Baymax blinked, looked forward. "I will edit my matrix on: property damage."

"Good boy. Now let's go."