hey everyone! here is part five, i'm hoping to make this one a fairly long story...thanks so much to silvie for reading and reviewing! i really appreciate your commitment to my stories, i hope you enjoy this part!

thanks everyone! please read and review! and any new ideas are much appreciated

I'm starting to lose track of how much time has passed in the tiny, dark cell. All I know is that I'm tired and hungry and I miss Hiro. And I keep having flashbacks, dreams, and maybe even visions.

"But I don' wanna baby brother! I wanna be your baby…" My wide toddler eyes fill with tears as I hug Kaa-san around the knees. "Why can't I be your baby fowever?"

My mother leans down and kisses me on the forehead. "It's okay, Tadashi. You'll always be my baby. We just have to make room for another one. Besides, this little guy will look up to you every day of his life. You'll be glad for him one day."

Three-year-old me crosses my chubby arms over my stomach and sticks my lower lip out. "I don' think so."

But three months later, when Hiro is born twelve weeks premature, I'm filled with a burning desire to protect this skinny, somewhat furry, beet-red little bean of a child. He's so small, so vulnerable. I want to keep him safe forever.

Hiro lets out a tiny, weak cry from inside the incubator, waving his tiny hands around. I insert a finger into the warm little box and Hiro wraps both hands around it, making a happy sort of gurgling noise. I'll admit, he's not very attractive, but he's still kinda adorable in his own way.

On my fourth birthday, we bring Hiro home from the NICU, now a strong, healthy, adorably chubby baby. It's the best birthday present I've ever had, including the robot-making supplies I get from my parents. Hiro helps me blow out the candles on my cake, then smiles, claps his hands, and lets out his first laugh. My parents freak out immediately. It's pretty early for Hiro to be laughing.

Actually, all of Hiro's development seems to happen early—he laughs at four months, walks at seven months, and builds his first robot at eighteen months. The one thing he doesn't do is talk—until he's two. And his first word is debatable—it was either "Dashi" or "nitroglycerin."

We stand by our parents' grave, huddled together under the large black umbrella. My head and stomach both hurt from crying, and tears stream down my cheeks. Hiro presses against my side, shaking with tiny sobs.

Treven and Morgan Hamada were too young to die. They were doing important work, some kind of groundbreaking discovery, and they wouldn't let Hiro or I know what it was. All we knew was that it was going to change the world, and that someone else was trying to create the same thing, and that it was dangerous. It ultimately killed them, blowing up the lab in an explosion of fire and shrapnel. Hiro and I were almost killed too, thankfully making it out with only minor injuries. But our parents, as well as our unborn sister, didn't make it.

They should have.

I sprint into the burning building, dodging flames. I feel my cap fly off, hear Hiro's screams, see the fire engulf everything.

"Professor Callaghan!" I yell, breaking off into a coughing fit. "Professor—"

The heat reaches an almost intolerable temperature, and suddenly a huge force flings me backward—so far backward that I tumble down the steps and skid to a halt on the concrete, knocking over something soft and warm—Hiro. The last thing I hear before I black out is Hiro's terrified screams.

I wake up in a hospital bed, hurting all over and struggling to comprehend what just happened. When my eyes finally focus, I can see Hiro asleep in a chair beside my bed, his forehead and cheek taped up and his hair sticking up all over the place.

What happened?

"Hiro?" I rasp, my voice scratchy and thin from the smoke.

Hiro's eyes flutter open, and I can see that they're bloodshot, swollen, and have dark circles under them. Aside from the gauze on his cheek and forehead, there are a few small scratches on Hiro's death-pale face. He doesn't look good. But I probably look worse.

"Tadashi!" Hiro exclaims, flinging his arms around me. The motion sends jolts of pain through my rib cage and right arm, but I ignore it and just let Hiro hug me.

"Dashi—oh my gosh, you've been—" Hiro takes a deep breath. "You've been in the hospital for three days, they were just about ready to declare you comatose. But now that you're awake, I can—"

"Hiro," I cut him off. "Please, I need to know. How—how bad is it?"

Hiro's face falls. "You have third-degree burns…a lot of them. They're all going to scar. I mean, they'll be mostly covered by your clothes, but your—your face, Tadashi…"

My heart leaps into my throat. "Get me a mirror."

I instantly feel bad for commanding Hiro like that, but he seems okay with it. He grabs his phone and shows me my reflection.

Oh my gosh.

Well, it's not as bad as I envisioned it, but it doesn't look great. There's a burn all down one side of my face, mostly on my cheek, but a little on my forehead and jaw, and it stretches halfway down my neck.

"Is it…is it third-degree?" I ask, my voice trembling.

"Only in some places," Hiro mumbles. "Mostly on your cheek. And your neck. It probably won't all scar…"

I sigh and put Hiro's phone down. "It's okay."

It's not. But I'm more worried about Hiro. "Are you okay?"

Hiro stares at the ground. "Just kinda banged up. And I got a couple little burns, but they won't scar."

"Are you sure? 'Cause I'd be really mad if you weren't okay and you didn't tell me…"

Hiro gives me a half-smile. "I'm really okay, Dashi. Nothing's broken—they said you sorta shielded me, 'cause you hit me when the explosion threw you. I kinda got pinned under you, which was pretty uncomfortable since you weigh like a hundred and fifty pounds, but I didn't really get burned too bad. And apart from that it's just a few cuts and bruises, so…yeah. Thanks for saving me."

I smile back at my baby brother. "Glad I could help."

Hiro climbs into my bed and gives me another big hug. "I'm so glad you're okay. I was so scared, Dashi…I thought you were gonna die."

I plant a kiss on Hiro's forehead. "I'm not gonna die, Hiro. I'm never gonna leave you. Not for anything."

Hiro snuggles closer. "Promise?"

"Promise."

I stroke Hiro's dark hair, just like I used to when he was a toddler. "I will always be with you."

I wake up leaning against the wall of our cell, unconsciously rubbing the burn on my cheek. It did scar, but it's not too bad. The scarring on my ribs is a lot worse. The burns actually got infected after the fire, and I almost died. But I was not going to leave Hiro after I promised him.

After the fire, I was in the hospital for weeks—with the burns, asthma, a concussion, and a fractured collarbone and humerus. I got to go home three months ago, and everything has healed by now. But sometimes, it still hurts—physically and emotionally.

Hiro is slightly traumatized, too—his injuries healed faster than mine, as there was nothing worse than a second-degree superficial burn and a couple bruised ribs, but my baby brother was fully conscious for the whole experience. Conscious, that is, until he started showing symptoms of shock and the paramedics sedated him. The needle was somewhat traumatizing, too. Poor little guy.

I massage the goose egg on the side of my head, wishing it would go down. And it has, a little, but it still hurts. So does everything else—including my ankle, which I completely forgot was broken. It's only been like two weeks since the moped crash, I guess.

I check the date on my phone—November 16th. It's only been a day, but it feels like weeks. I can even feel stubble growing on my jaw. I think Honey would find that attractive, except she can't see me and I can't see her. It's not fun—I think I'll end up blind if I'm in here too long.

My phone buzzes, showing a text from Hiro.

youstupidgeniuschild: I found you guys

teddybear3000: really? where are we?

youstupidgeniuschild: ur nowhere near the hospital thats for sure

teddybear3000: well where are we genius?

youstupidgeniuschild: I'm pretty sure ur in obake's underwater base…thats all I can see from ur coordinates…

teddybear3000: obake has an underwater base?!

youstupidgeniuschild: well ofc you idiot! and i'm coming to get u guys just gimme like 20 mins

teddybear3000: hiro…

youstupidgeniuschild: i'm coming and u can't stop me

teddybear3000: ok but be safe and don't do anything stupid

I put my phone back in my pocket and gently shake my sleeping girlfriend's shoulder. "Hey, Honey. Hiro's coming. He knows where we are and we're gonna go home."

"Really?" Honey whispers.

"Really," I tell her, kissing her on the cheek. "I promise. It's all gonna be okay."

Man, I hope so.

—HIRO—

I power my thrusters on and zoom out of the hospital doors, Aunt Cass calling for me to be careful behind me. I guess I'll try, but it might not work out.

I'm really happy Aunt Cass was able to get out—she did manage to sneak over to the elevator and get down to the first floor, bringing most of the patients who could walk with her. The ones who couldn't get out of bed have been barricaded in their rooms while the police attempt to locate and apprehend Baymax. I'm seriously worried about them—killer Baymax could easily bust through a door, no sweat.

The wound in my side still stings, but I ignore it. I have to go save Tadashi. Even a sucking chest wound isn't gonna stop me—I've gone on missions in a lot of pain before, and this isn't much worse. The sling on my arm has been replaced with a figure eight brace, and the burns and scrapes are all healing well. I can deal with this if it means I can save my brother.

When I get to the coordinates, I scan the water for any sign of the base, and all I see is some kind of vent-periscope-tube thing. It's probably for air. I quietly unscrew the cover and squeeze inside—I'm gonna have to get Tadashi and Honey out a different way. There's no way they'll fit out this tiny vent.

Finally, I reach the end of the vent and slam my uninjured shoulder into the grate, knocking it off. I slide out and drop to the floor, wincing as I twist my ankle slightly. I shake it off and limp down the darkened hallway the vent has deposited me in, looking at the many locked doors. Which one of these could Honey and Tadashi be behind?

"Tadashi?" I call softly. "Honey? Are you guys in here?"

"Hiro?" comes a weak voice from behind a door. "Is that you?"

I press my ear to the glossy black surface. "It's me. Are you guys okay? Hang on—lemme get you out…"

Fishing my lockpick out of my pocket, I insert it into the old-fashioned tumbler lock and wiggle it around until the lock springs open. I fling the door open and start down at Dashi and Honey, curled on the floor.

"Hiro," Tadashi says, and that's all he gets out before I fling my arms around him. We stay like that for at least twenty seconds, and then I straighten up. "We have to get out of here, guys. We don't have much time."

Tadashi gently pulls Honey to her feet. "Alright, let's go."

I nod, then remember something. "Guys, I think the rest of the team might be here, too. I don't think they're all dead. And Dr. Armstrong and Ellie, too—shouldn't we look for them?"

Tadashi's face goes pale. "Oh yeah! We have to get them out, too—and Baymax. We can't just leave them here—but there's no way we can carry them all out without multiple trips. Should we get Honey back to San Fransokyo and then come back for them later?" His voice is pained—my big brother would never leave anyone behind, but there really is no way to get them all out now.

"We're gonna have to come back for them," I say sadly. "But I promise we will."

We set off, looking for an exit. Eventually, I spot what must be the main entrance and lead Honey and Dashi out of it. They both wince at the soft light—well, Tadashi winces, but Honey actually lets out a small sob. Dashi gives his girlfriend a peck on the cheek and rubs her back. "It's gonna be okay, Honey. You're gonna be fine."

As we rise into the air, Honey and Tadashi both clutching me so I can fly us off the base, I feel a sense of unease. It should not have been that easy to get out of there…

My gut is right. We don't even make it five hundred feet from the base before I hear an explosion.

I pull up as high as I can, trying to avoid the blast zone, but I'm not fast enough. What must have been a small bomb hurls us into the water, and we sink rapidly.

I try to swim, we all try to swim, but a huge wave crashes over us and forces me back under. I don't know which way is up, and water is quickly filling my lungs. Everything is going dark, I'm going to drown—

Tadashi's arms close around my chest, and I'm jerked back to the surface, coughing and spitting out water.

"Hiro, go!" Tadashi gasps, shaking his hair out of his eyes. "Do your thrusters still work?"

I test them and discover that my thrusters do indeed still work. "Yeah—hang on!"

I feel Tadashi and Honey's hands close around my wrists and I power on, exploding out of the water. It's then that I discover that Obake is firing small grenades after us.

We speed over the ocean, trying to avoid the tiny bombs. They knock us around in the air a bit, but nothing serious. I can see the beach, it's so close, we 're gonna make it—

The thrusters fail.

Obviously, the water damaged them, but I thought we'd get a little farther before they gave out. I'm equal parts terrified and annoyed as we plummet, falling almost sideways on the last fumes of the thrusters.

We slam into the sand, and I feel the weight of Tadashi and Honey fall away as I skid across the beach. I bounce, then roll, then skid the last few feet, carving a gouge into the sand. I finally stop, so dizzy and disoriented that the whole world seems to be spinning.

"Owww," I groan, rolling over onto my back and gazing up at the overcast sky. "At least…we made it…ow." The wound in my side is not happy, and I feel bruised all over from the crash. Nevertheless, I sit up, pushing my wet bangs out of my eyes. I'm soaked and covered in wet sand—I probably don't look the best. But I could be worse—I could've been captured by Obake, and that would definitely be worse than being wet and a little beat up. I'm incredibly lucky, really.

I look around for Tadashi and Honey, rubbing my forehead and trying to get my vision to focus. When it does, I see Tadashi slumped over Honey, half-conscious on the beach.

Dragging myself over to them, I gently shake Tadashi's shoulder. "You guys okay?"

Tadashi lets out a faint groan and manages to sit up. "I'm okay—just a little sore. What about you guys?"

"I—I'm okay," Honey mumbles. "I still can't see very well, but I don't think anything's hurt. Hiro?"

"I'm fine," I tell her. "Nothing broken. Let's get back to the hospital."

I get to my feet and immediately feel a violent head rush wash over me. I put a hand to my forehead, trying to calm the dizziness. It works after a few minutes and I take a few shaky steps forward, then turn back to Dashi and Honey, beckoning them forward. Tadashi helps Honey walk across the beach, then stops as she gets used to it again. I feel so bad for her—kept in a dark cell for about two weeks, then accused of murder. Hopefully we'll be able to work it out.

After an hour or so, we reach the hospital, where Aunt Cass immediately freaks out. She calls the doctors and they rush us all into the emergency room to check us over. Thankfully, no one seems to have been injured worse than slight bruising by the crash, and the doctors give Honey drops to help her eyes get better. They also clean out my sucking chest wound and make sure there's no sand or salt in it, then send us home.

I haven't been home for so long. It's amazing and I never want to leave again. As soon as we get back, I collapse into my bed, letting all the tension out of my sore muscles. I lay there for about twenty minutes, then take a shower to get the sand off me. Changing into sweatpants and a hoodie has never felt so good.

But I can't relax yet. Obake isn't gone. And we still have to rescue the rest of Big Hero 6—assuming they're even still alive.

So, after a few hours of rest, I start repairing my thrusters and designing ones for Tadashi and Honey so we can fly back to Obake's base and save the rest of BH6. I also make a few backup copies of the healthcare chip—we're gonna have to reprogram Baymax if we're getting out of there with everyone, especially if Dr. Armstrong and Ellie are there too. We'll have at least three people, maybe five, to rescue, as well as a killer robot. This is not gonna be easy. But we're going to try, because we don't just leave people behind.

I would never leave my team behind.

The next day, though, it is pouring rain. There is no way we can fly across the ocean in that—the thrusters will inevitably fail. Guess I'd better work on making them waterproof. But there's also zero visibility—we'd probably end up crashing straight into the ocean.

I sit on my bed with a rice sock pressed against the cut on my side, my chin cupped in my hand, staring out the window at the rain. To be stopped by something as trivial as weather is really annoying me.

Tadashi comes up the stairs, stepping quietly to avoid waking Honey up. His girlfriend is sleeping on his bed, exhausted.

"Hey, Hiro," Tadashi says, sitting down next to me. "How're the thrusters coming?"

"Pretty good," I mumble. "But now I have to make them waterproof or they'll fail halfway through. This rain is stupid."

Dashi laughs. "It's okay, Hiro. We'll get them back, I know it."

I smile up at him, then feel my phone buzz. Pulling it out, I see that the notification reads unknown number.

hello, hiro.

it seems we meet again.

come to my base by midnight tomorrow. but first, I urge you to visit the ruins of your parents' lab. they held a secret that will be crucial to our meeting. go, see for yourself, and prepare to be amazed.

I would also advise not doing anything stupid. I can easily overpower you and even kill you if necessary. that is not my plan as of now, but it may change. I wouldn't count on anything.

come to me, hiro hamada.

be ready.

I close the app, breathing hard. What is he talking about? I know my parents were working on something top-secret when they died, but I didn't think Obake knew or cared. Of course, Obake is seemingly omniscient, so it's not entirely out of the realm of possibility—

I gasp.

I know exactly what my parents were doing. Why it blew up their lab. Why they died. Why Obake wants me so much.

"What?!" Tadashi exclaims, noting my surprise. "Hiro, what is it?"

"Tadashi," I breathe, my voice shaking. "I know what killed our parents."

I take a deep breath.

"They were trying to recreate the energy amplifier."