It's been a long day without you my friend, and I'll tell you all about it when I see you again. We've come a long way from where we began, and I'll tell you all about it when I see you again.

Set directly after the events of the Season One finale.

—

Hiro was… exhausted. Mind spinning from the events that have taken place in the last 48 hours, even as he laid in his attic bedroom in the Lucky Cat. The stars spun outside the window, but all that did was remind him just how close a new one came to being born in the shining waters just out of sight.

His thoughts were scattered, almost incoherent as sleep pulled relentlessly on him.

But there was too much. Too many memories and flashes racing through his head on broken tracks as he stared unblinking at the white ceiling above him.

Baymax's iron grip clenching around his arm, eyes shining red and unforgiving.

Obake's soulless, evil, twisted smile.

The sounds of his friends screaming in fear in his headset.

The horror as a blinding white and purple light rose from the lighthouse.

The tingling, zapping energy roaring around him.

The terror.

The pain in his bruised ribs.

The tsunami, hurtling towards them.

Hiro groaned in frustration, heaving his body up into a sitting position. He hadn't felt like taking his suit off- it was sweaty and bloody and dirty, but it felt safe. Comforting. Protecting. A reassurance that he'd be prepared if something else jumped at him out of nowhere. I'm never gonna sleep. He admitted. Not any time soon.

He'd been so scared. The thrill, the adrenaline, the terror, the flashes- a small crash sounded downstairs and Hiro jumped to alert, casting a frightened gaze around the room, half-expecting Noodle Burger Boy to come crashing up the stairs, lasers firing. Probably just the cat. Hiro thought after a moment. But he was too worked up to relax. All that pent up energy had to go somewhere- Hiro suddenly felt as if the cramped, tented space was far too small. He needed to get out.

He glanced around- everything was as it should be. Tadashi's side of the room untouched, Baymax quietly charging in his port, everything silent except for the soft patter of drizzling rain on the window. So, Hiro climbed on his bed and headed out the small window he'd climbed into merely half an hour ago, jumping to the ground with a wince at his sore ribs and rolling. He activated his visor against the rain and set off with no destination in mind, barely sending a glance back to the silent, dark cafè he was leaving behind.

—

Hiro was so deep in his thoughts he barely noticed the wrought iron gate his wandering steps led him to. San Fransokyo Cemetery.

Why did I come here? Hiro asked himself, footsteps strangely pulled toward one well-decorated grave towards the right corner, secluded by small cherry trees. Tadashi.

Usually, any time Hiro came here it was to grieve. To remember. To remind himself why he was doing all this. To cry, somewhere solitary away from anyone who would try to comfort him. But this time he felt a strange, melancholy peace. Without really thinking about it, Hiro knelt in the mud surrounding the small, spotless gray tombstone and slipped his helmet off, letting the light rain seep into his hair, sending cold shivers down his spine.

I may have lost my life, but my legacy

lives on.

Someone has to help.

it read. Hiro smiled as he read the words that had become his mantra, the code by which his life had been lived by for the past year and a half. "I can't believe it's been that long." He sniffed. "I miss you, brother." Then the words came pouring out.

"I wish you could see how far we've come in so little time. Baymax is a superbot now- the perfect combination of your 'help everyone' and my 'kick everyone's butt'. He can fly and shoot stuff, it's awesome. But he has never hurt a person… not while he's in control." Hiro paused, remembering once more those shining red eyes. "Villains have way too easy of a time using my inventions for bad stuff. Baymax, microbots, energy amplifiers… I can't seem to catch a break. The new villain, Obake? He used one of my inventions-" Hiro chuckled incredulously. "It was super crazy. I built this energy amplifier for the open house, even though Granville told me not to- wait, you don't even know Granville! She's the new professor after Callaghan got locked up. Anyway…" Hito found himself sitting in the rain and mud, one hand tracing the smooth stone edge of his brother's headstone, spilling his guts to the only person he knew he could talk to.

So wrapped in this story was he that he never heard the soft footsteps approaching through the wet, trampled grass.

"Fred is still hanging around at SFIT- he's the only one who keeps us all from running ourselves into the ground. I guess he did the same for you."

Cassandra Hamada paused- who was that? Where was that voice coming from?

Who would even be up at this hour? I mean, I guess I could ask myself the same thing.

She snuck toward her destination, intent on not disturbing whoever it was. But the closer she got, the more clear that voice became.

"… too. She's on skates now instead of a bike, but she's still super intense. She told me she's thinking of going red instead of purple, since she wears red more. I told her red is obviously the superior color, but I don't think she agreed. And Wasabi…"

The closer she got, the more unmistakable that voice and those words became. That's Hiro.

Cass' heart dropped a little. Poor thing. I wonder why he's out here? It's raining, wet, muddy, miserable…

Same reason I am, I guess.

She wrestled with herself for a moment, standing huddled under her umbrella. Should she join him or not? I don't want to bother him… but at the same time, his bittersweet tone was breaking her heart into little pieces. "He's still a clean freak, of course. But he's braver than he used to be- his suit is awesome." Random. "We've all gotten super close since you've been gone. Sucks that I don't have any classes with most of them, but I see them at lunch and patrols, so it's fine."

Patrols? Curiosity was beginning to eat at Aunt Cass, and after a long moment, she made her decision.

Hiro didn't notice her padded approaching footsteps. Or the small gasp that flew from her covered mouth as she saw his armored sillhouette. The way she staggered back a few steps. The way she stared at his back like he'd grown another head, gaze flitting from his sopping form to the helmet slowly sinking in mud.

"H-… Hiro?"

That he heard. She watched as he whipped around, surprised face (that quickly morphed into horror) proving what she already knew beyond a shadow of a doubt.

That was her nephew.

And he was in a superhero suit.

"A-aunt Cass! Uh…" A hand shot out and and slid his helmet instinctively behind him, as the teen gave her a sheepish smile. "H-hey! Nice… meeting you here. What are you doing out so late?"

"Hiro."

"This isn't what it looks like, I promise!" Hiro's eyes betrayed him- full of fear. What happens now? She glanced behind him, reading once more the words on that all too familiar tombstone. Realization hit behind shock and anger. "You… you're doing this for him, aren't you."

Hiro sighed, dropping the act. His helmet was pulled out and brought around to rest in his lap. He fingered the buttons aimlessly, not daring to look up. "Yeah. We all are."

Cass sat beside him, not caring that her soft, cat-themed pajama pants were being soaked. It would wash out. At least now the umbrella was over both of them. "Why… why didn't you tell me?"

"I was scared, I guess." Hiro replied after a long moment, shifting away slightly like he was expecting some sort of punishment. "This… I have to be a superhero, Aunt Cass. It's what Tadashi would've wanted, and I don't know what else I would do."

"Is this what you want?" She prodded gently, gripping one of his gloved hands in hers. He looks so different…

"Yes." He replied instantly, finally meeting her eyes. She was shocked to see the depth of passion in his eyes. "I could never do anything else. I can't stand by and watch San Fransokyo get torn apart by supervillains I helped create."

"What do you mean, you helped create?" Hiro sighed, memories flashing beneath hazel orbs as he fingered the rim of his helmet. "There's a lot of long stories I guess I should tell you now. And they're crazy." Hiro began to laugh incredulously. "I mean crazy. Like, stuff you wouldn't believe."

Several moments passed before his aunt spoke again. "Hiro… how…. I- I don't even know what to say. I mean, you're old enough to make your own decisions about what you do in your free time, I guess, but this? Really? Couldn't you have picked something a little more- I dunno, safe?" Hiro stiffened, glancing back at his brother's grave. "Someone has to help. Those were the last words Tadashi ever said to me, the last words he maybe ever said. He's gone now, and he died trying to save as many as he could. It's my turn."

"But what if you die like he did? What if-"

"I would be proud of that, Aunt Cass! I would be proud to sacrifice myself for someone else! Saving hundreds of lives is far more important than some emotion." Hiro snapped, eyes widening even before he finished as he realized how harsh he sounded. "I- I didn't mean-"

Cass sighed heavily, wringing her hands together. As much as she wanted to snap- "I just can't lose you too."

Hiro winced guiltily, eyes widening as a tear dripped down his aunt's face. "I'm… I'm sorry, Aunt Cass. I didn't mean it like that. I just…" He took a deep, shaky breath. "Remember when Tadashi beat the heck out of that guy who came into the cafè? The one who tried to get all weird with you?" Cass nodded, confused. "I… I just feel like that's my job now. To keep you safe. And when I have all of these abilities, all this knowledge, all these ideas…" He lifted one of his gauntlets and fired a sonic blast in between two of the trees, breaking the silence and sending several leaves and a few small branches crackling to the ground. "How can I not use them to protect people?"

"Don't you ever worry about yourself?" Cass asked with a bittersweet smile. Hiro nodded, thinking of all that had happened mere hours ago and how terrified he'd been. "All the time, trust me. But… it's just, like- I don't know. When you have the power I do, and bad things happen, and you don't do anything to stop it- it's kind of your fault, you know? Knowing I can save people, I could never make the conscious decision to sit back and let someone die."

Aunt Cass smiled despite herself. Her nephew got himself into so much trouble, but at his core was a strong, gentle, caring, noble soul. I wish he didn't have to risk his life to show it. But she couldn't stop him. And deep down, she truly was proud of him. Not for lying to her, but for his sense of responsibility and honor- something that hadn't existed before Tadashi's death.

That made the decision for her.

She rose, taking Hiro's helmet and pulling Hiro up with her, huddling with him under the umbrella as they made their way back to her car. "Well, why don't you come tell me all the stuff you were talking about when I found you?"

Hiro shrugged. That actually sounds… nice. Maybe even fun. "Sure beats talking to a rock." He deadpanned. Aunt Cass gave him a light tug on his earlobe, both a little hurt and glad that he could talk about his brother's death so flippantly. He really has come a long way. She glanced down at the strangely shaped purple and red helmet in her hands. Yet some things will never change.

They didn't get much sleep that night after all.