A laser sliced a pile of junk in half as a hand whirred to pick up a tossed circuit board. "Do I like this? Nah." The board was tossed, and the hands picked up a piece of metal instead. "Ooh! Golly, sis! What about this?"
Trina paused from throwing scrap metal to look down at NBB. "Uhg! We want to upgrade, not lame-grade."
He ignored her and admired his reflection instead. "It's shiny!" He tossed it into his burger head.
"It's like trying to have a conversation with a blender." She said as more junk clattered while she pulled stuff apart, then saw a nice piece of wind turbine. "Hello there! This might work."
"Trina!" She internally groaned seeing Hiro and Baymax flying over them. "Figured I'd find you in the trash."
"Many items here are recyclable." Baymax pointed out.
Trina extended a claw in agreement. "That's what I'm doing, Hugs. Self-improvement."
"Sis says we are 'keeping up with the biologicals.'" NBB chipped in.
"Got to. Every loser in town is going monster these days."
"Huh. True." Hiro growled at the mention. At first it was just Knox, then villains, then Ned Ludd, and now it pointed to Liv.
Who knows which twisted monster born from an unlucky soul would appear. Perhaps another villain, or someone he cared about-
"Time to scrap!" Trina tossing a scrap metal that Baymax managed to catch brought him out of his daydream.
Baymax looked at the bar tossed at them. "Scrap?"
Hiro raised an eyebrow. "I think he's making a joke."
"Oh, trash is also referred to as 'scrap.' Synonyms." Hiro then yelped, pointing to NBB as his eyes glowed red.
"Hee-hee." The laser blast hit the metal and knocked them into the trash on a higher level of the junkyard.
"Aah! Gross." Hiro recoiled seeing the garbage bags break and dump their junk on him, a rotten banana peel on his head.
Trina smirked at the sight. "And that's our cue. Let's go bro." She started to run.
NBB happily followed her. "Sounds swell, sis!"
Hiro managed to pull himself out of the trash to give a command. "Baymax! Rocket fist!" The rocket fist crashed into a pile of junk that knocked the robot siblings down for a few moments.
The bot-fighter got up and sent him a nasty scowl. "Always gotta have the last word, don't you?" She picked up her brother and ran.
"I will be shiny!" NBB's voice echoed as they faded out of sight.
"We are due at the symposium in eleven minutes. You are covered in garbage." Baymax reminded him. It was an interview with Pioneers of Today for Tomorrow. Where he and fellow classmates would be able to interview both Alistair Krei and Liv Amara. He was already dreading it. Why did Aunt Cass have to buy me a ticket…
He sighed. "Right. Let me just-aah!" Any attempt to get out of the dump backfired as he fell further into the garbage pile.
"Perhaps it would be advisable-" There was a thud and a clatter. "Oh, no." Now Baymax was stuck too. They were down in the dumps so to speak.
By the time they got out of the trash and flew back to SFIT, the event was starting to begin, Hiro quietly snuck to his seat next to Wasabi and Gogo. Baymax waddling in caused more of a ruckus, but the students chattering didn't make it too noisy.
"I'm so excited! We get to talk to Liv Amara!"
"Liv's so cool, she's pretty and smart and everything I wanna be when I graduate."
"Man, I wonder if I'll ever be as successful as her."
"She's awesome. I can't wait till I can ask her questions!"
"Me too."
Hiro wanted to leave and go back to wasting in the dump after hearing chatter like that. Calm down. He told himself.
It wasn't his fault that his peers were oblivious to the woman's true colors. But it didn't help seeing Liv give the same answers every time someone asked her a question.
"Anymore questions for our tech pioneers Liv Amara, or Alistair Krei is there, too?" Bluff Dunder was the guy who was plucking people out of the audience to ask questions. One of the biotech students, Jarmi if he could recall, walked up to the mic.
"Uh, this is a question for Liv."
"Great. Another one." Krei groaned, nobody had asked him any questions for the entire meeting. It was sad in a pitiful way.
"Hey, Liv. Big fan, probably your biggest. How do you find the time to have it all?" Jarmi asked her.
"I have it all, too!" Liv raised an eyebrow at Krei's interruption and he backed off. She then replied to the question with a smile.
"Investing in Sycorax is investing in a-"
"Have it all future." Hiro mumbled from his seat.
Wasabi looked up from his book to frown at Hiro. "Do I even want to know how you knew she was gonna say that?" His nose wrinkled as a repulsive smell hit him.
"And why do you smell like a dumpster?"
"Ninety-nine percent of Liv Amara's answers contain the words 'investing,' 'Sycorax,' and 'future.'" Baymax answered for him. "We fell into garbage."
"Eww."
"Too bad someone doesn't ask her a real question." Gogo rolled her eyes.
Hiro smirked. "Challenge accepted." He got out of his seat, Wasabi winced at the smell.
"I'm concerned." He told Gogo.
"I'm not. Much." She shrugged it off. "What's Hiro gonna do? Accuse her of the monster attacks?" She then froze. "Oh no, now I'm concerned."
Hiro confidently walked up to the mic, then frowned seeing it was taller than him. "Aw, looks like we have a question from that little boy." Bluff Dunder said. That caused the audience to laugh as he lowered the mic.
"Ms. Amara, you never talk about what you guys actually do." Hiro pointed out.
"Sycorax invests in the future." Liv told him. "Were you even listening, Hiro?" He felt his eye twitch as she casually sipped her tea like she didn't dodge the question.
"No, I… I heard that. I mean, what's the product that you make?"
"Oh." She chuckled. "Who really wants to hear about the minutiae of reprogramming siRNA and it's effects on recombinant DNA. But a fantastic question." Liv rambled. "Who's next?"
A girl tried taking the mic but Hiro wasn't gonna give in, the feedback whined as he yanked it back. "Another question!" The girl caught one whiff of the garbage scent on him and backed off, leaving him free to fire questions at Liv.
"Uh, how many people have the actual technology and skill set to turn someone like Orso Knox into a monster?"
"No clue. I don't make monsters." Liar. "I cure them."
The audience applauded at her words. Sure. He sarcastically thought. And Knox "generously" gave you lots of money for that.
When he rewatched the news report during brunch the other day, Megan helped him notice how nervous Knox was, how seeing Liv's never-ending smirk gave them both red flags.
She's always smiling. "Follow-up. Have you ever seen one of these?"
Liv squinted at the patch he pulled out. "I've seen something similar." Because you took Karmi's invention and twisted it.
"It's a transdermal patch."
Bluff Dunder cut in. "Ooh, 'transdermal.' Big words from a tiny, tiny child." He gestured as the audience laughed. "He's small!"
"I just haven't hit my growth spurt yet!" Someone help him.
"Looks like somebody's tired."
Hiro groaned in frustration. "Look, this was used to turn Ned Ludd into the Hibagon right around when you were trying to buy the Muihara Woods."
"Pure coincidence." She shut him down. "Now, if anyone would like an autograph-"
"It just seems like whenever monsters show up, Sycorax does, too."
The audience was silent, you could hear a pin drop as Liv and Hiro glared daggers at each other. One did not simply accuse a beloved businesswoman like that without causing an effect.
Bluff Dunder tried to ease the tension. "Interesting. Maybe you should come up on stage. Uh, Jim, can we get a booster seat up here? He's tiny."
Liv stretched her hand out. "I have a question, Bluff." She turned back to the audience. "Given that this young man is an intern at Krei-Tech-"
"Yes! Why aren't you asking me a question, intern?" Krei cut her off.
The news man stared at the clock. "Well, we're all out of time, but that was fun." Bluff Dunder smiled. "Normally, both questions and answers bore me, if I'm being honest."
The audience applauded as the two CEOs waved and left, there were a few people with questionable gazes, but his words had been brushed off. Hiro shot Liv a glare as she smiled and waved.
With his piece said and done, Hiro turned to go back to his seat, but then a hand grabbed his jacket and started tugging him into one of the hallways. "Wha-?"
"We're having a chat."
It was Rachel, and she did not look happy.
Once he was dragged into the hallway a bit away from the auditorium, Rachel started giving him the third-degree.
"What were you thinking accusing Liv like that, in public?!"
"Why were you even here?" He fired back. "This is a school event, you don't go to school here."
"True. While this event was hosted by SFIT, normal people could buy tickets too." Rachel explained. "Why do you think Bluff was here? He was broadcasting this. They're gonna show your accusations on Good Morning San Fransokyo tomorrow! Great job mister incognito."
"Yeah, great job." Her feline companion poked her head out of her purse. "Your questions make Liv say something besides 'invest in Sycorax future blah blah blah' but you painted a target on your back."
"And if something happens to me after what I said, it'll just stack evidence against Liv." Hiro pointed out. "Sides, not many people believed me so not as if she'll pull anything."
"Yeah, but you planted doubt! And now Liv's gonna think I gave you said doubt to spread!" Rachel's outburst caused him to jump back a little. "She's onto the fact I'm suspicious of her, you're gonna get me killed!"
He just glared at her. "That is the most selfish thing I ever heard you say."
"Excuse?" Katie bristled.
"Liv's hurting people and all you care about is yourself." Hiro stated. "She's gonna get away with mutating people and staying quiet is the act of a selfish coward!"
Rachel looked a little shocked at his words, the blue hissed at him. "How dare you!" Katie snarled. "Rachel is the most selfless and kindest human I know you little-"
"Katie."
She placed a hand to her head. "You're right to be mad, I am a coward. But think Hiro, think! Liv could put your entire family including your sister in danger in an act to silence you. I'm not thinking about myself, I'm thinking she could hurt my parents if I go looking for trouble."
"Believe us, she already tried." Katie chimed in. "I don't want Liv to try again and succeed this time."
Hiro thought back to her injuries from the Hibagon. Rachel never said it was the Hibagon who attacked her. He realized. That was just the theory we came up with, and she was in Muihara around the same time Liv must've stolen Bessie.
That's when he saw the scruffy brunette shivering, and knew that whatever Liv did to her, she had succeeded in silencing Rachel. "Look. I'm not asking you to help me bust Liv. But I can make my own choices here, and I doubt she's gonna target my relatives."
"You don't know that!" She protested. "Are you willing to risk you and your sister's life?!"
"Don't bring Ari into this." He glared. He knew that his sister was Rachel's friend, was she that worried about her safety?
"Someone has to help, Rachel."
She just frowned at him, looking as if she wanted to argue some more, but gave up. "Well, then I wish you the best of luck."
"Thanks." They parted ways, neither noticing the pair of hazel eyes watching like a hawk.
As Liv returned to Sycorax, Chris greeted her in the labs. "Welcome back, why the frown?"
"Hiro Hamada accused me of creating the monsters." She scowled. She didn't think that the kid who tried impressing her with a giant thermometer raised any warnings, and messing with his sister would've been enough to deter any suspicions, she underestimated him. "Now there are two thorns in my side."
"Did Rosemary snitch?"
"No. I overheard her trying to talk him out of his accusations." Liv chuckled. "You did a good job of making her be quiet, even if you didn't finish the job."
Chris smiled at the praise. "Why thank you, darling."
"However, Hiro planted enough doubt to potentially postpone our plans." Her gaze darkened. "But don't worry, I have an idea."
Let's just say she was finally going to make use of a pet she hadn't quite used yet.
Ferns and Nerds group chat:
Mikan Ferns changed David 19 to David Ferns
David Ferns: FINALLY
Mikan Ferns: Now the Ferns triad has been restored
Sara Ferns: : )
Mikan Ferns: On a side note.
Mikan Ferns: Y'all you should've been there at the symposium
Sienna Kline: Why
David Ferns: I prefer going on a date with my lovely gf tyvm
Hiro Hamada: Mika don't
Mikan Ferns: You said things!
Rachel Rosemary: We heard
Fredzilla: Explain plz
Mikan Ferns: Hiro said my boss caused all the monster attacks
TheLittleMermaid: BOI
Sara Ferns: You did not
Sienna Kline: Wow big words from someone so small
Honey Lemon: Hiro…
Hiro Hamada: She's profiting off the monster attacks ppl! Her presence in those is suspicious!
TheLittleMermaid: We're talking when you get home
David Ferns: He does have a point tho…
Sienna Kline: Really?
Fredzilla: Y'all are conspirists. I'm going to sleep
Rachel Rosemary: Same.
Hiro Hamada: I feel so betrayed
True to her word. Hiro saw his sister sitting on his bed, glaring at him when he got up the stairs. "Oh look, Ari mad!" Baymax slurred. "Hello Ari! I am balalala!"
She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Is he okay?"
"He will be." Hiro quickly placed him into the charging station. "Are you gonna yell like Rachel did? She already yelled at me for accusing Liv."
"No. But I don't know why you think she's responsible." Ari frowned.
Hiro groaned, this was even worse. "Ariel, are you kidding me?" He sat next to her. "Liv told you that your friend didn't care about you."
"To be fair, Juniper was the one who gave me this scar." She explained. "Liv doesn't know her personally, so she thought she was bad. And I don't know that much about Juniper, she could be right."
"You've known her for a while, are you really going to believe Liv over your friend?" He protested. "The same one who told me about 'she' who threatened you to get High Voltage to do her bidding?"
"It could be another 'her,' like some evil lurking in the dark." Ari shrugged it off. "Liv tried helping me with my amnesia, no bad person would do that."
"But…"
"I'm sorry Hiro, I'd like to believe you. But there's no way Liv could be responsible for the monster attacks." She yawned. "I should get some sleep, I have school."
"Ari-"
"Goodnight Hiro." She got up and walked to her bed. Leaving Hiro all alone.
She doesn't believe me. Her words hurt more than the chill in the room. My own sister doesn't believe me. He should've suspected that since Ari did look up to Liv a lot. But she was so oblivious to the woman digging her manipulative claws into her.
He went to sleep with a heavy heart. Tomorrow has to be better…
AN: Hiro needed a break in this ep
Esp since even Ari doesn't believe him.
Yeah, she doesn't really have any reason to, and since she thinks that Liv did her a favor by "telling her the truth" about her friend, not to mention having a good view of her from Karmi idolizing her, she doesn't think that Liv is a bad person.
Hopefully that doesn't backfire on her...
Also I might go back to the old way I post chapters bc it is draining spacing it out so much XP
QOTW: What was going thru your mind when you at first saw the confrontation scene between "Liv" and Hiro during the episode?