Chapter 21 (Karmi's POV)

"So…you still talk to them?" Hiro asked awkwardly.

I glanced up from my microscope. "Why wouldn't I?"

He shrugged. "N-No reason…"

I smirked. "83b4 will pretend they didn't hear that." I rolled my chair over to grab another Petri dish. "Besides these little guys might just be the answer to our problem."

"Okay, now I'm interested. What's up?"

It was another day spent in Big Hero 6's HQ, which never got old. But to finally have some good results, well that just made it better.

"Di's too arrogant to believe it, but her showing up did as a major favor. It's not as great as having a non-mature spore to study, but the sample we took from the recent mutant attack gave me a lot to go on."

"The fresh sample really made a difference?"

"Yes, and 83b4 has been helping me to answer the question of how non-altered pathogens are affected by whatever Di's cooked up."

"So how the nanobot pathogen hybrids play with viruses found in nature?"

I smiled, excited that he was following. "Exactly. The results are completely surprising. At first, the hybrid virus completely ignores wild viruses, but when exposed to a signal of the right frequency…" I gestured for him to look at the slide under the microscope.

"What am I seeing…?"

"The nanotechnology in the hybrid virus is joining with the wild virus. Sharing the nanobots as if layering the wild virus in…a sort of armor? I don't know yet, but it's strange."

He frowned. "Does that mean the wild virus is becoming a hybrid too?"

"Technically yes, but it doesn't seem to have the same effect as the spores. In other words, the wild virus has changed but still seems harmless. I don't see what good it does? Especially given that in my early tests the wild virus dies shortly afterward. It's not compatible with the hybrid without Di's special alterations."

"Why do I doubt her goal was to make a nano antiviral?"

I scoffed. "No kidding. The most interesting thing to me is how the hybrid samples respond to a certain frequency, it might be the first evidence we have to back up our other theory. That the hybrid spores are dormant until receiving a certain signal which triggers their rapid growth. If so then Di could spread spores anywhere and wait for the perfect time to activate them."

"But for what…" he mused. "What's the goal, the point? She said she'd have already turned us all into mutants if not for Sphere. What does he really want…?"

I shrugged with a frown. "I don't know… And I take it his poetry didn't help you figure it out?"

Hiro rolled his eyes, seeming frustrated just at the thought. "Not hardly. Besides the obvious wordplay on circles tying in with his crazy theme, I don't get it. Which bothers me… If Sphere went to the trouble of having Di deliver that message it must be important…"

I wished I couldn't have helped more, but I was just as stumped.

"How's it going with detecting the spores? Gogo said she'd been working with Baymax and wanted your help."

"We've made some progress, but it's not exactly ready yet." He sighed. "I better keep at it. So there goes my afternoon plans…"

I smiled, hoping to cheer him up a little. "Would coffee tonight help?"

He grinned back. "Assuming I don't have to drink it alone, sure."

"Then I'll meet you at the café later." I looked back into the microscope lens, a little distracted.

"Fair enough. So am I looking at your afternoon plans?"

I glanced over my shoulder. "I wish. But I think I'm being drafted by Honey Lemon to go with her and Gogo to buy a gift for Fred."

He looked a little curious. "Oh, that's nice, a little getting out of the hospital present?" He frowned. "Gogo was really okay with it?"

I laughed. "No, she tried to get out of it, but you know how persuasive Honey Lemon can be."

"Let me guess," he filled in. "You're just going as our resident shipper?"

I smirked mischievously. "Maybe."

Gogo had been even more distant and awkward since everything that had happened. I got it, seeing someone you secretly care about almost die… But I tried not to focus on that, Fred was okay and we were all just thankful for that.

"Where is Honey Lemon thinking of buying something?"

"The comic book shop, where else?"

"As in the comic shop. Mole?"

I smiled. "I don't mind, I'm kind of a celebrity in those circles."

He rolled his eyes playfully. "Right, of course. But I'm shocked Gogo doesn't mind…?"

"I don't think she knows where we're going yet…"

He laughed. "I honestly kinda hate that I'm going to miss this."

"Looks like you'll just have to wait for tonight to get all the juicy details, Hero Boy."

"Alright, see ya then," he said before heading toward the door.

"Later," I called back, not looking up from my work.

But I heard his footsteps stop just short of leaving. "Uh, Karmi…?"

"Yes?" I asked, glancing back at him.

He looked awkward suddenly. "I uh, just wanted to thank you again for helping us with all this research. We," he emphasized each word. "We really need your help. It's…it's great that you were cool with us being…well you know…"

"Superhero freaks?" I filled in playfully.

He blinked. "Well, that's one way to put it…"

I smiled at him a little softer. "All nerds feel like freaks sometimes, Hiro. It's…not really a big deal." I looked back at my Petri dishes. "I talk to viruses, after all…"

He took a few steps closer before leaning in to kiss my cheek. "It makes you amazing," he whispered before turning to walk away.

I just watched him go, some part of me frozen there. I narrowed my eyes, trying to ignore the way my heart raced. A little part of me still hated it when he got the best of me. But…

I smiled as I looked back into my microscope lens.

But mostly, I was just…so happy.

"We didn't have to make a big deal out of it…" Gogo grumbled, trying to look uninterested. "You know, just a 'hi glad you're not dead' would have sufficed."

"Gogo! How can you say that?" Honey Lemon gasped. "Weren't you the one the most worried about Fred?"

"Scientifically, no, I don't think you can prove that."

Honey Lemon's hints weren't exactly subtle. So I just hung back, following behind as we headed down the sidewalk. This was definitely going to be an interesting day.

"Everything doesn't come back to science, Gogo, some things are just about your heart."

Gogo frowned. "I could literally throw up just hearing that… Besides, what are you implying? Weren't we all worried about him?"

"Of course, but you know what I mean…"

"No, I actually don't."

Honey Lemon sighed. "Well, I think Karmi knows, isn't that right?"

They both glanced back at me, putting me in the middle of everything. I felt torn, a respectable scientist like Gogo trying to hold onto her dignity and not admit she had feelings for a clueless nerd? It was so…relatable. But the other half of me, the writer, the shameless shipper, couldn't resist.

I nodded. "I do, I really do. And as horrible as it is to admit, some things can't be explained scientifically." Or could they? Maybe if I'd been in the psychology field it all would have made sense?

Honey Lemon looked vindicated while Gogo seemed betrayed.

I shrugged innocently. Even as hard as it was to admit, it was probably better than to keep running from the truth. Because in the end, the truth was all that really mattered, or so I'd heard somewhere…

"Whatever, let's just get something and be done with it…" Gogo relented in annoyance.

Or at least until we turned a corner and our destination finally came into view. "Nope, not going to happen," she grumbled, turning around. But Honey Lemon grabbed her arm and pulled her in the other direction.

"You know Fred loves comic books, this is the perfect place!"

"I'm not dealing with that little dweeb when I'm already in a bad mood."

"And why are you in such a bad mood, Gogo?" Honey Lemon shot back. "Maybe because we're hitting on core issues, ones you've been hiding for years?"

Gogo's eyes narrowed, obviously realizing she was backed in a corner. So gritting her teeth she shrugged off Honey Lemon's grip. "I meant I'm in a great mood. So let's just get this nightmare over with…"

I admit, I found it a little funny… But then to me, this place wasn't really that bad. In fact, it made me think of all my old years of writing.

The three of us pushed our way into the shop; the sound of bells jigging against the door. The same smell of old paper and stale air made me feel so nostalgic. Behind the counter was a mosaic of random images from pop culture. To my surprise, a fanart of me and Captain Cutie was hung up too. I grinned to myself, feeling giddy. I'd made it, I was practically famous.

"And no one's here," Gogo quickly said, not seeing anyone behind the counter. "Let's leave."

Honey Lemon rolled her eyes. "Don't be silly, I'm sure-"

The sound of something rustling behind the counter cut her off. Within a few seconds, a pair of eyes popped up from behind the counter before Richardson Mole stood up completely. Not that he was all that talk even when he did… 6 years hadn't done much to change him apart from the sorta sad attempt at growing a mustache evident on his face. Still, it was good to see him again, especially since he was such a big fan.

He looked between me and Gogo, his attention seeming split. "Dream Girl, is that really you?!"

"No," she deadpanned. "I'm a ghost."

"And I must be dreaming," he went on. "Because three lovely ladies just descended from heaven and one of them is even KHeartsQT!"

I smirked, my ego feeling a little inflated. "Well, it is me…"

"Oh indeed it is! Please," he said, gesturing toward the wall of fanart. "Sign my collage!"

"Well," I mumbled. "If you insist!"

Gogo facepalmed as Mole turned his attention to her. "So tell me, Dream Girl, are you still wasting your time hanging around that loser Fred?"

"Yes," she snapped. "But don't read anything into it, I'm so sick of everyone doing that…"

"Oh so you are available?!" He shot back.

"No! I mean-" She bawled her fists. "Look, we're here for some stupid comic book or something."

He gestured around. "Well, we have plenty, Dream Girl, what genre are you looking for?" He batted his eyes. "Romance maybe?"

Honey Lemon stepped in front of them before Gogo could give him a black eye. "We're actually looking for something for Fred, as a gift."

Mole deflated with a frown. "You're kidding…? Well, in that case maybe horror is more fitting."

"Don't push it," Gogo shot back. "He almost died, it should at least be something nice…"

"What, slipped on a banana peel?"

She glared at him. "No, he faced up to a freakish super villain who threw a car through a window, or haven't you been watching the news?"

I thought she was changing her tune pretty quick. It seemed like she didn't mind insulting Fred herself, but she got defensive when anybody else did it.

I finished signing hearts on the fanart and walked back over to them. "You know Fred, right?"
I suggested. "Don't you have some idea what he'd like?"

Mole sighed. "Know is a very strong word, QT. But for you I'll see what I can dig up."

He disappeared behind a row of shelves, not coming back for at least five minutes. Finally, he walked back with a trading card sealed in plastic. "Here, I'll sell you this for a celebrity discount, but only because I'm such a big fan."

"Okay, but what is it?" I asked, looking down at it.

"A Gem Mint graded trading card from a limited run. It was a rare promo included in only a handful of stores."

"And," Gogo asked incredulously. "You're really letting Fred have that?"

He shrugged. "Well, you're still going to pay for it. Besides, I have the signed version."

"Oh that looks great," Honey Lemon squealed excitedly. "Thank you so much!"

"No, thank you," he said, walking behind the register and ringing up the total. "Even with a discount, it's not going to be cheap." Then he glanced at Gogo slyly. "Though, I might be convinced to give my girlfriend an even steeper discount…"

Gogo grabbed out a wad of cash and slammed it down on the counter.

"Keep the change!"

"We have fanart…really?" Hiro mumbled awkwardly.

I smirked, taking a sip of coffee. "Well, you know no one can resist a good story. And, if I may, I think mine was pretty great."

He playfully rolled his eyes before changing the subject. "So about Gogo and Fred, how did that go?"

"Fred loved the card. Gogo wanted to tell him it was from all of us, you know to make it less personal, but Honey Lemon bailed at the last minute. She gave Gogo full credit and I didn't want to spoil anything so I went along with it too. They're probably a long way from the epilogue, but I think it was good progress."

"You're really a writer, aren't you?" He said with a teasing smile.

"Yep, no doubt about it."

I felt pretty self-satisfied, honestly. Maybe Mole had inflated my ego a little, but it was nice to be recognized. After all those years of not writing anything, this just felt so good. But then, a lot of things had changed recently…

"Okay, so who wants cake!?" We heard Aunt Cass say as she walked over, a platter balanced on her hand perfectly. "I made this especially for the occasion!"

"What occasion…?" Hiro mumbled teetering on the edge of embarrassment. It was a teeter that ended in a free fall when we actually saw what was written on the cake in icing.

"Karmiro?" My confusion only lasted for a second before I laughed. "Like a fanfic? That's awesome!"

Normally, I would have been almost as awkward as Hiro, but today I was in too good a mood.

Aunt Cass smirked. "I'm hip with you kids too, you know?"

"Heh, great…thanks Aunt Cass," Hiro mumbled. "That's not awkward at all…"

She smiled cluelessly. "Good, now just let me cut you a slice."

After she'd walked away I smiled at Hiro. "She's so nice."

He nodded wearily. "Yeah, if not a little…well you know, embarrassing."

My smile softened a little. "Well, I think it's better to overdo niceness instead of the opposite. My parents wouldn't exactly make me a cake…"

Hiro's expression changed until a slight frown was on his face. "Are your parents cool with us…?"

I shrugged. "They would be, I just haven't got around to telling them. Everything's been so crazy lately… But uh, they…" I tried to figure out how to word it, how to explain. "My parents care a lot, sometimes too much. But they don't exactly excel at showing that. They're proud of me, I know. But if they were honest, I think they're a little mad that I moved back here." I tried to smile a little. "Let's just say they're not the type to make me a ship cake."

He smiled back softly. "Well, that might not be such a bad thing. But um…maybe one of these days I could, I don't know, meet them…"

For a second, I just stared at him, a million thoughts taking shape inside my mind. The meaning of everything and the reality of it all. I wasn't dreaming… This time, I really wasn't it…

"They wouldn't like how goofy and unorganized you are," I teased. "But you're smart so that'll count for a lot. I think they always worried I'd end up with an idiot."

He scoffed playfully. "No pressure. But really, you pick an idiot? I think they underestimate how ruthless a judge of character their daughter is."

"Yeah," I admitted. "But my first judgments aren't always right. After all, I didn't like you at all…"

"Well," he tugged at his collar. "You weren't exactly on my favorite person list back then either…"

It seemed strange, but both of us felt a sting in that admission. Even though it was so obvious and so irrelevant now.

"It…" I confessed slowly. "It wasn't easy, trying to let people in. Especially not the guy who sold my youngest student title."

He shrugged teasingly. "And who knew I'd be into older women?"

"Hey, don't push it, Nerd Boy!" I punched his shoulder, trying to act upset. But I couldn't fake it. "I might just go back to hating you."

He made a face. "I don't buy it, we're too far gone now. We have fanart, after all."

I wanted to act mad at him, but I couldn't. Neither of us could ever go back to being the people we had been back then. Everything had changed… Because sitting here now, laughing with him, wanting to be nowhere else in the entire world… I couldn't have imagined it…

After a while, he walked me out to the sidewalk. The first stars were already dimly peeking out from the city lights.

The look on his face said it was worried about a million things below the surface. But none of those things could tarnish the simplicity of our feelings. Of what really mattered, even if the world was threatening to fall down around us.

"Do you need me to walk you home? I mean, just in case?"

The case was all the terrible realities that I'd tried not to think about, if only for today. But like a gentle sad reminder, I looked over Hiro's shoulder, into the alleyway. Standing there, politely waiting for us to finish our conversation was none other than Momakase. Taking his shoulders I slowly turned him until he could see her too.

"Looks like it might be Hero time."

As his brown eyes locked on her I watched as he transformed right in front of me. Going from Hiro Hamada to…the hero he'd selflessly chosen to be. The man with the weight of the world on his shoulders…

A weight I promised, somehow…I'd help him carry.