Chapter 62, everybody! And I know, I'm technically posting this on a Sunday (happy Mother's Day, everybody) but ah….

So last week (5/2/2021) my bird Baby passed away and…while we knew this was coming since about Ash Wednesday when we took her to the vet and he told us, and while yes she was old by her species' standards (Pionus parrots live to be about 30 years and she was in her late twenties)…it still crushed me. It still hurts, a week after the fact, and…I just miss her terribly. It took until today to finally scrape enough writing juice together, and I'll probably come back later and iron this chapter out, but I told myself I wasn't going to miss a week. This one's for you, Baby.

In lieu of flowers, I'd like you to look up Ray Bradbury's "No News, or What Killed the Dog?" and then hug your pets. They're not with us nearly long enough but the time they're with us shows us what unconditional love looks like. Yes, it hurts when they leave, but when they do take a little bit of us with them when they go to Heaven. I miss her terribly, but I'll see her again someday.

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 it's very strange writing this knowing both shows are over but were going strong when I started that's a weird feeling and yet I should be used to it by now. Once again, if you are dissatisfied with these shows ending, send all salt to Disney corporate every nastygram they get that represents fifteen people who couldn't be bothered so WRITE TO THEM.

So back to the fic…was clipping along, ready to move everyone back together, and 'Kase decided she wanted to throw hands with Chris. We decided to let her. And then Wasabi went and surprised me who are you people. In other news, choke points are pinch points that are important in warfare, and the stairs definitely qualify. And acid probably doesn't work itself out that fast but we're talking a genetics company that turns people into monsters as far as we know that's like—thread from Pern that eats metal instead of organics. Also, any acid that strong should be causing toxic fumes but again genetics company maybe they made an acid that doesn't do that….Point is, we're handwaving that one.

As for the bird-people…I did the calculations with another winged humanoid species of mine, Chaos Creatures, and to provide enough surface area for lift we're talking a minimum of ten-foot wingspans for the adult bird-people, assuming a 2:1 ratio to their height. Most likely, we're talking an average fifteen-foot wingspan. As for the hemoglobin thing…birds do not have that in their system like humans do, they will easily bleed out from even a small injury if you own birds then you'd better get used to having styptic powder handy. Bird-people, by dint of being a mix, do have some hemoglobin, but low enough that a bleeding injury takes a while to clot. Turns out there's a reason Tadashi doesn't like the kids fighting….

And to 'Kase's irritation, we have references to Tumblr posts and quotes from movies, including Tremors 2 (thanks to a reviewer suggesting it), Atlantis: The Lost Empire, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, The Incredibles, and probably a few more things I'm forgetting. Also…friendly reminder that Chris did wrestle a bear in canon.

Angelwings2002, thanks for the review! YES! ah thank you—yee the ship has sailed success I'm glad that went across good because I have no confidence with writing romance. Yes in reality she and Grump are about as old as the kids it's just everyone seems to not realize this. XD Sue and Beth's Mom Modes were activated upon spotting Hiro—and thank you! :D

Hexyah, thanks for the review! Technically…Donald. I had no intention of introducing him but he popped up so…there he is (may have to go over those chapters again the last ten have been pantser chapters so they need polish). Surprisingly no—and me too now to get them out. :D

Silverphoenix, thanks for the review! Yeeees! :D

Big Hero 6 © 2014 Disney

Ducktales © 2017 Disney

Wasabi and Sherman had headed up the stairs, were forced to detour through the third floor when several monsters dropped down on them and started attacking—dealing with monsters with a potential dizzying fall right there was NOT on Wasabi's list of things to do today. Matter of fact, that wasn't on his list of things to do EVER.

"Okay," he gusted when the last monster was down. "Schematics say there's other stairwells—we can try one of those and—hey!"

Sherman skidded to a halt, doubled back to where on the curving hall Wasabi had stopped. One wall was solid plate glass, offering a nice view of the surrounding woods and the parking lot and loading docks below.

Also, a glittery motorcycle.

"HEY!" Wasabi barked, banging on the window before looking at the plate glass window—wouldn't open because of safety concerns, but—

A few slices later and the window was plummeting down to ground level, Wasabi yelling heads up! to alert anyone potentially below—fortunately no one there.

And fortunately, Felony Carl by his motorcycle.

"Is everyone okay?" he called up.

"Uh, I think so!" Wasabi called.

"Good—the police are coming up, you need a different way down!"

"Okay, what if we—that's it we use this!" Wasabi exclaimed, gesturing. "We get Globby to—we'll be back, okay? Hold on! Come on," he told Sherman, bolting for the next stairwell—

Realized what he had done when he skidded to a halt in front of the stairs.

"We both agree that's just from reaching peak crazy and just not having the energy to process routine crazy, right?" he asked Sherman.

"Fwuff," Sherman noised, which he decided was as close to a yes as he was getting. Slice the door open, step out—

Squeak in alarm at Sherman's bark, more so when he realized there were policemen coming up this particular stairwell.

"Oh boy oh boy now what," Wasabi muttered, looked up—monsters coming down. "Oh, great."

Sherman huffed, picked Wasabi up, put him aside, reared up while Wasabi was still processing this—

Actually ripped the stairs off the wall and folded them down, keeping the police from coming up and stalling the monsters from coming down.

"Okay," Wasabi squeaked—tried again, a bit more forcefully this time. "Okay—you do realize that's the floor my friends are on, right?"

Sherman nodded, huffed—made a sort of ree-AARK noise at the monsters above them—

Whatever he said must have involved their mothers, because the monsters shrieked and launched themselves down at him. Sherman easily batted them around, Wasabi helping occasionally with his laser shields—had to squawk and retreat when shots started coming up from below.

"Okay," he wheezed, as Sherman ripped a different door off its hinges and wedged that one into the stairwell door. "Let's try one of the others and please, leave it in one piece."

The noise Sherman made was most likely no promises, but he'd pretend it was positive for now. Deep breaths…okay. Time to get a move on.

Here was hoping at least one stairwell was monster-free.

Chris had gotten their escape route ready, was going through everything to make sure they'd be ready to go when she was ready, checked the increasingly-degrading computers to see that they still had a ton of problems coming up for them.

He needed to slow them down.

The Sycorax building had three stairwells to its name, going all the way up to the top. Send the first wave of monsters down after everyone, sort through their other options…one stairwell had a concerning amount of smoke billowing up it, that one was probably out…ah, the little brats had been using one stairwell in particular….

He could definitely fix that.

Granted a metal-dissolving compound only went so far, but it did its job in stopping progress that way. Get ready to call his mistress to tell her not to take this particular stairwell when she was done—

Stop at the sight of a feathery cadre led by several annoying superheroes.

Debate…engage, don't engage. Do some petty revenge, or live to fight another day. Step back, call his mistress.

"How much more time do you need?" he asked when she picked up.

"Another ten, fifteen minutes," she said. "Why?"

"Just needed to know." Hang up, tuck his phone into his pocket.

He had some exterminating to do.

Bird-people going up had been met by bird-people coming down.

"'Dashi!" Louie and Huey cheered, Huey holding the box of gene cleansers up—more happy screeches when they collided with the other bird-kids in a happy hugging pile.

"Okay that's nice have the reunion later," 'Kase said, grabbing several and putting them back on Baymax. "You're holding up traffic."

"'Dashi," Huey said, handing the gene cleansers to Tadashi.

"Uh, thanks, but I second 'Kase's statement," Tadashi said, taking the box and steering Huey to one of the other bird-people. "We've really got to focus on getting out of here. Hiro."

"Uh, excuse me, have been very competent thus far," Hiro shot back. "Didn't go running off and bugging a monster Nox back me up here."

"Bad," Nox chimed.

"I don't need this in stereo, Nox," Tadashi sighed.

"Yes you do," 'Kase said.

"Definitely don't need it in triplicate."

"Yes you do."

Tadashi turned, was going to tell her off when Sashi said "Uh, guys? Do you smell something?"

'Kase paused, sniffed the air. "I don't know what it is, but it smells like burning."

"Well I did kind of majorly set that other stairwell on fire," Fred offered.

"Not like that."

"I smell it too," Beth said. "Okay whoever's hissing stop that."

They all glanced at the bird-kids, who all seemed concerned with what was going on above them—Hiro leaned into the stairwell to see—

"Ow!" he yelped, yanking his hand back and shaking it. "What the—"

Baymax held his hand still. "Tadashi, please remove my other gauntlet."

This seemed serious. Oblige, watch as Baymax sprayed Hiro's gloved hand before slipping his gauntlet back on.

"The spray will counteract the: acid," Baymax declared. "You will be fine."

"What?" came from at least three sources. 'Kase squeezed by, looked up—

"Oh yeah," she said. "That's definitely what I smelled."

Tadashi looked up at her from checking Hiro's hand, maneuvered around to see what she was looking at—

Most of the stairs between them and…he had no idea but it was at least four floors worth of stairs gone.

"This is problematic," Mini-Max said from Lena's arms.

"Dude," Fred observed. "How much of that spray you got?"

"The: acid, is fast-acting, but is dissipating quickly," Baymax said, scanning the walls. "It will be safe to progress shortly."

"With what?" Hiro demanded. "And also, to where?"

"Which floor is that one?" Tadashi asked, cautiously leaning on the railing to address the others. "Can you tell?"

Sue was closer to the walls, looked. "There's a big B1 stenciled here—I guess the first basement floor?"

"Should have guessed from the missing doors," Hiro said, looking at some of the gaps above them. "First floor's out, still a ton of unconscious monsters and not-unconscious policemen who'd probably ask too many questions."

"Second floor's dicey too," Fred offered. "The girls are on the fourth floor, which is where Wasabi and Sherman the TANK should be—"

Which was about when Wasabi nearly stepped out of the door three stories up, shrieking when he realized there was a good thirty-foot drop on the other side, was yanked back (hopefully by someone friendly) for his trouble. "WHAT THE ACTUAL—"

"YO WASABI!"

"FRED!?" Wasabi stuck his head back out—ducked back in. "Okay you know what that is much too high and you guys know how I am about the heights."

"Wasabi would have never have made it as a bird-person," Tadashi decided.

"Okay dude for the record I'm pretty sure I would have rocked it," Fred offered. "Just sayin'."

Hopefully they never found out. "Wasabi!" he hollered, cupping his hands around his mouth. "How's it looking up there?"

"Do I HAVE to answer?" Wasabi called back.

"Wuff," something up there with him—hopefully Sherman—noised.

"Uh yeah, this works better," Hiro said, tapping the side of his helmet. "Wasabi, do you read me?"

Tadashi grimaced, leaned over to better hear, ignoring Hiro elbowing him for space.

"Yeah this is much better than yelling into the void—what happened?" Wasabi asked. "There were totally stairs there when we started."

"Baymax says acid, but he says we should be good."

"Oh great wonderful."

"Can we go around some other way?" Tadashi asked.

"I don't think so," Wasabi said. "Someone ripped up one of the other stairwells and the third one is full of vines and smoke—it's weird."

"It's Tadashi's fault," Hiro said, ignoring the thump on his head.

"I don't want to know," Wasabi sighed.

"About getting out of here," Tadashi prompted.

"Right—we've got a potential exit, but first we have to get you guys up here."

"There's some bits of stairs here and there still," Fred pointed out. "Maybe the water from the fourth floor diluted the acid so it wasn't as bad there?"

"The: stairs, are still unstable, and not recommended," Baymax posed.

"What about flying up?" Brittany said. "Did you forget that some of us can do that?"

"I can guarantee you they did," 'Kase said.

Sashi was in a bit of a free spot, tested the space gingerly. "Uh, I don't think this is big enough for that—and some of us aren't good at launching straight up." Lean a bit to look down the stairwell. "And that's one heck of a penalty if we screw up."

"Fortunately for us, Baymax can get up there," Hiro said. "Baymax?"

"I will need to make several trips," Baymax declared.

"Start with the kids," Beth said, hugging Mei before handing her over.

"No," Mei said, hanging on.

"It's okay girl, go with the nice robot."

"No," Mei insisted, looking at them desperately. "No Btth no—"

"Just take Beth too," 'Kase said, waving irritably before backing up and eyeing the broken stairs critically.

Baymax scooped Beth up as well. "Please hold on tightly." Blink, look up, launch—

Tadashi could see one big issue with this as Baymax hovered outside the third floor and handed the bird-people in.

"You're not going to be able to fit through that door with those wings," Tadashi pointed out when Baymax touched down again.

"The: fourth floor landing, is still structurally sound," Baymax said. "I will land there."

"Ooh, maybe give us a lift?" Fred asked. "We're needing to get up there."

Hiro nodded, looked like he would have commented but for Beth, audible over the comm, saying "Ooh hi I have a very single granddaughter about your age."

"Uh, okay?" Wasabi noised, sounding flatfooted—Hiro and Tadashi both snorted.

"What's the matter with you?" 'Kase asked—got them shaking their heads in response. "Of course."

"Told you Wasabi would be the popular one," Fred said.

Several of the bird-kids chirped, launched into the air, darted into the third floor and caused Wasabi to yelp in alarm at that—although Tadashi definitely felt the flat "Violet."

"So this is more of an adult bird-person problem," Hiro observed.

"Look, flying is super technical not everyone can get it right away," Tadashi insisted as Baymax took the next group.

"Sure—now see, if it were me, I would have probably already figured out like, triple-corkscrews or something like that by now."

Okay, Tadashi didn't need that painful thump and squirm in his stomach, nor did he need 'Kase's really smug I told you so look.

"I will be able to take the rest of the: bird-people, on this trip," Baymax declared upon touching down. "We will then be able to proceed to the: fourth floor."

"Don't bother with me," 'Kase said, hopping up on Baymax's shoulders before leaping to the half-remaining stairs. "Some of us have more confidence in our abilities."

"Dude, I like," Fred said, bouncing after her. "Although I'm still gonna need a lift to the fourth floor because reasons."

"I'm not helping you."

"Some of us also don't have the genetics of an acrobatic thief," Hiro muttered.

"Yeah," Tadashi said, deciding he wasn't going to unpack that right now. "Hey 'Kase! You know this has the same energy as Violet right before she fell in the river, right?"

"Does that mean we're hovering over her like annoying big brothers then?" Sashi asked, already clinging to Baymax.

"Oh totally." Look behind him. "And of course you're still here."

"'Dashi," Nox said, tugging on his wing.

"He can't fly, his wing's broken," Hiro said, completely oblivious to the gut-punch that gave Tadashi. What—when did that happen? "And I might as well come with, I'd be the only one left otherwise."

Tadashi nodded, not trusting himself to speak right now—scooped Nox up, went to Baymax and allowed himself to be scooped up in turn, curling up and hanging on tight with three limbs, keeping Nox cradled against his chest.

"I'm sorry," he muttered quietly into Nox's ear. "I should have been there."

"'Dashi," Nox said, hugging him tight and purring.

Tadashi focused on deep breaths as the odd sensation of liftoff occurred, odd because he knew it wasn't from his own actions—was able to look when Baymax hovered, waited as Sashi got off first, turning around and hanging onto the door frame as he helped Tadashi in.

"Aha!" Fred declared once Baymax was free, leaping up and glomping on before swinging out a little to point at them. "Okay guys, we will be right back after this brief message and a word from our sponsors!"

"Okay Lizard-Guy has the same energy as your friend with the underwear," Sue told Tadashi as they watched them shoot up.

"I must unfortunately tell you that they are one and the same," Tadashi sighed. "Please tell me you weren't aware of superheroes in San Fransokyo before this."

"I feel like you won't like the answer."

Tadashi threw up his free arm. "Tell me, and be honest, did everyone but me know about this? I feel like I was denied critical, need-to-know information we were all stuck together for months in the wilderness and NONE OF YOU decided to bring this up?!"

"You seem peeved," Sashi observed.

"Good that means I'm emoting properly."

"Okay understandable but we need to focus," Wasabi said, putting a hand on his shoulder, other hand busy supporting Violet. "I need help with a headcount none of the kids are staying still."

Tadashi sighed, helped—let's see, Grump was still unaccounted for and seriously starting to worry him, they had picked up an extra bird-kid…one two three four….

Eighteen.

Blink in confusion, turn to look—

Right as Louie was boosted up into the hall. "What—"

'Kase crawled up, wing-arm hooking on the floor, looking disgruntled. "Had to detour, someone was running around downstairs trying to collect all the shiny stuff."

"Louie, stop that," Tadashi said, nudging him over to Sashi before turning to 'Kase. "Need a hand?"

"No I got it—"

Movement flashing made him glance up—

'Kase screeched in alarm, flaring her arms out, claws digging into the wall and carpet, shredding jagged lines into them as she was yanked back—

And into the abyss.

"'KASE!"

Tadashi's agonized scream bounced around the stairwell with her screech, the last thing she was fully aware of before something swung her around—aware that she was going down hard—

Impact drove the air from her lungs, vises clamped around her neck—eyes rattling, vision blurry, brain bouncing around and not wanting to process—hook her hands around whatever had her, digging her claws in, struggling to suck in a breath—

Realized who had her.

"My mistress is very disappointed in you," that teenybopper assistant that followed her around like a loyal dog snarled. "Hopefully the next iteration is more promising."

Didn't have a chance to figure out what he meant before he freed up a hand, shaking off her clawing like it was nothing, and yanked a handful of feathers off her cheek.

Fresh wave of blankness, like what Della had described after breaking her leg—too much pain at once, mind not wanting to process—screech strangled as he squeezed with the other hand—

Barely aware of Tadashi tackling him, Sashi screaming as he dove after—felt him shift on her, heard the grunts of pain as he threw Tadashi at Sashi—

Blink, a thought sharpening into a thin blade in her mind: she was going to die, and then he'd go after the others. Her flock, her flight, her family.

She'd make sure he'd pay a pound of flesh before he succeeded.

Forget trying to claw her neck free, this monster was deceptively strong—reach up, dig her claws deep into his shoulders, hang on tightly, curl her feet up—

First kick might have winded him.

Second kick had her dragging down, ripping cotton and leather and denim, claws catching painfully on belt buckles and zippers.

Third kick and drag felt like it had punctured something tough but glanced off.

Fourth nearly ripped her talons off, but succeeded in getting something warm and wet to splatter on her and got a stunned look on his face—swung back the fist full of her feathers, was bringing it down with the intent of crushing her beak backwards into her skull—

Something screaming, sounding like it was getting closer—

Crashed hard on his back, rolling off and onto the stairs, startling him badly enough that his grip loosened—

She tugged him close, planting both feet on his stomach—

Shoved off hard, angling so she flung him off the stairwell and into that desperate plummet right next to her.

Gasp, air being dragged raggedly through her throat—body arched—roll to her side so she could try to suck in oxygen better—

Was surprised at the green guy next to her, repeatedly patting his chest and looking like he had just taken his life into his own hands and regretted every decision leading up to that, the suckiest of decisions. "Wha—"

Screech above redirected their attention—the rest of the Big Heroes fighting a sort of…giant gecko monster, Baymax holding it at bay as Fred tried flaming it—

Look down to see Tadashi looking up, half-frozen at helping Sashi up, Sashi staring at the gap like he couldn't believe she had done that—

A sharp snap made her look too—

Screech, lash out, claws flashing at the hand gripping the railing, the face grimacing as he started hauling himself back up—

"Get back!" green-guy yelled, sliced at the railing, slamming his face with a laser-shield—she lashed out again, clawing his face—

Redoubled those efforts when he grabbed her wrist and started tugging, kicking out when Tadashi and Sashi hauled her back—another bash to the face with a laser-shield, then the arm—railing collapsed, gloved fingers trying to peel him off and dodge the other hand swinging a metal bar—

"HEADS UP!"

Everyone looked up just in time to register that the team had succeeded in tearing the gecko-monster off the wall, that Hiro had it wrapped up in hardlight ropes, hauling back, using Baymax's torquing momentum—

And was throwing it straight at him.

Panic—Tadashi reached around, grabbed his wrist, twisted, claws raking across tendons and making his hand spasm open—

Right as the gecko-monster crashed into him—

And kept crashing, down several flights of stairs, from the sounds of it.

Deep breaths, deep breaths, the bird-kids' screeching starting to slow…she, Tadashi, and Sashi collapsed backwards against the wall in a trembling heap, her still gasping in an attempt to reintroduce air into her lungs as green-guy collapsed against the wall next to them.

"Wha…what was your name again?" she croaked, weakly indicating him.

"Ah…Wa-Wasabi," he managed.

"Right. Sorry for taking you for that ride the other day."

"Me too," he said, as Tadashi lightly thumped her on the shoulder. "Also, that…I never want to do that again."

"Honestly was not expecting that," Tadashi said, wrapping an arm around her and hugging her close. She sagged into it, out of steam to do much more. "What happened to you being scared of heights?"

"Oh trust me, it's still there. It's still very much there and questioning me right now and I am going to just—sit here and try to forget the last five minutes."

"Me too," she murmured, eyes closed…snapped them back open at the sound of Baymax touching down.

"I will scan you now," he announced as Hiro and Fred hopped off and ran to them, Fred dancing around them and apparently unconcerned with the big gaping drop right there. "'Kase, you have a bruised: trachea, several bruised ribs, and a severe dermal injury to your: face."

"What?"

"You're bleeding really bad," Sashi said, tugging up the sleeve of his shirt and holding it against her face—persisted when she twitched away.

"Get off me."

"The bleeding will have to be staunched," Baymax continued, one finger up. "I am detecting lower hemoglobin levels, which will slow the scabbing process and result in greater blood loss."

She put a hand to her face, ginger of it, pulled it away, took note of the red smeared all over it. "Ow."

"On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate your pain?"

"One. Very lousy, would not recommend."

"That's not how it works," Tadashi coughed, sounding like he was trying not to laugh.

"It's my pain, I get to pick how to rate it."

"Please close your eyes," Baymax said. "The: spray, can cause irritation if it makes contact with your eyes."

It caused irritation when it made contact with her cheek too, caused her to flinch and draw in her breath in a sharp hiss. Crack them open when nothing else happened, saw Hiro hugging Baymax's gauntlet and looking at her front with a worried expression.

"Are you sure that's it?" he was asking Baymax with naked concern. "Maybe you should scan her again."

She looked blearily down at her front, noted the red speckling it. "Oh that's not mine."

"That is impressive and horrifying," Sashi said.

"That was that crushing grip of reason I keep telling you about."

"And now I'm all new levels of concerned."

"You two play nice," Tadashi scolded, jostling her a little bit.

"Make me," she said, squirming a little. "Okay that's enough let me up."

"That is not recommended," Baymax said as Hiro shoved his gauntlet back on, muttering something about figuring out a way around this. "The oxygen content of your bloodstream is still: low. You may suffer from: dizziness, for the next several minutes." Put his arms out, scoop her up, hold her close. "I will carry you back up to the others."

"Nice," Fred said, making a heart shape with his claws. "And then you can come back and get us so we can get the girls—oh wait you guys—"

"Can go with them," she muttered. "Stop this."

"We're sorry, but there's no stopping Baymax once he's on a healthcare kick," Hiro said, sounding smug. "Also…you know Wasabi was quoting a movie when he came and saved you, right?"

"I take back my apology then."

"Wait I was?" Wasabi asked.

"Atlantis," Hiro said. "And I quote: I wish I had a better plan than this."

"Okay you know what take me with you," Wasabi said, climbing onto Baymax, hooking an arm around his and hanging on tight. "I can help with…okay you know what I don't think so but I've so had enough for one day."

"Ah good, we agree," she said, closing her eyes. Okay, maybe she got the dizziness a bit. And now that she wasn't fighting for her life, her everything was very, very sore. Barely aware of Baymax lifting off, hovering, of hearing the others squawking and worrying, vaguely aware of being handed off from robotic arms to strong ones—

Clung tight to the solidity once she was pulled close, vaguely aware of the bird-kids dancing around, patting what they could reach and chattering okay-okay-okay?

"Ah," Wasabi muttered, adjusting his hold on her. "Ah…please get off."

"In a minute," she muttered, not opening her eyes, even when she felt hands lightly brush against the injured side of her face. "No touchy."

"I'm not used to seeing her like this," Brittany said, sounding worried. "Is 'Kase okay?"

"'Kase needs five minutes. After that, anyone who asks me that gets their face clawed."

"She'll be fine," Beth said, sounding relieved.

She didn't remember a whole bunch after that.