Karmi squinted at the microscope, which showed tiny razor-fanged creatures swimming around blood cells. "Woah, these parasites are ugly!"
"They're called parasynths." Liv corrected her.
She turned away from the microscope to face Liv, they were in the same lab from the other day. "And they're really inside someone?"
"They were engineered to destroy viruses." The CEO explained. "But once they were introduced into the patient's body…"
"The parasynths mutated." Karmi's reddish-brown eyes widened. She felt bad for the poor patient, whoever they were.
Liv slowly nodded. "And started destroying the healthy cells instead. Which is why we don't have much time left to find the cure."
"It would help if I knew more about the patient-"
"The patient's identity is confidential!" Liv snapped, but her frown turned back into a smile. "It's just protocol."
Karmi's shoulder dropped in disappointment, but she understood. "I know, but I just want to-"
The CEO placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm trusting you with this responsibility. And you have to trust me back."
"Well, you did tell me about the gold particle infusion…"
Liv was smiling again. "See? We make a great team!" She watched as Karmi placed a dropper full of an experimental cure into the cells, then they watched on the microscope.
It showed the cure latching onto the closest parasynth and gobbling it up. "It's working!" Then a herd of parasynths gobbled the cure. "Aww." Karmi hoped that'd work, it should've!
Liv groaned. "The parasynths are too powerful when they swarm."
That's when inspiration hit the biotech genius. "So if we could find a way to keep them apart, the cure would work!"
"Then we will do whatever it takes to make that happen." The look in Liv's hazel's eyes was intimidating, but it didn't last long. "I'll check back on you later." Then left the lab using the back door.
"Huh." Karmi shrugged off the look in her eyes due to stress. This project is freaking stressful. Honestly I don't know how Liv can keep her cool. So she went back to work.
Every second wasted was a second that patient was in danger, what was it Hiro said once? Someone has to help. So she was going to do that.
Diane entered the chamber room, the lights flickering on as she walked up to Liv in stasis. They were so close. "Hold on a little longer." She pressed her face onto the glass, the parasynth level was growing higher, if there was no improvement a week or two now… she couldn't think of a world without her.
"You'll be saved soon."
Two nerds group chat:
Karms: Hey I need some advice
Karms: It's important
Hiro frowned as he looked at his phone, Karmi usually wasn't one to ask for help like that.
Genius Boy: What do you need help for?
Karms: I'm having inventor's block
Oof. He knew how that felt, as he walked down the street, Hiro didn't pay much attention to the person trailing behind him.
Genius Boy: Well I can try to help
Karms: Thanks
Karms: So hypothetically, what would you use to help a sick person?
Genius Boy: Um?
Genius Boy: A hospital?
Karms: Very funny, hypothetically what would you do in a place with no hospital and someone with you got sick?
A cat screeching and random clatter made him look up, before going back to his phone.
Genius Boy: That's a tricky question. Usually I deal with robotics problems so I'm not sure how to handle something like that
Karms: omg that's it!
Genius Boy: ?
Karms: I got an idea my inventor block is over tysm
Genius Boy: No problem?
Karms: Gtg now, bye!
Genius Boy: Cya
Satisfied for doing his good deed for the day, Hiro decided to tackle his own problem. He turned a corner, then went back as the footsteps got louder.
"Wasabi?"
The physics major yelped, his face was concealed by a green motorcycle helmet.
"Why are you following me?"
"What? I haven't been-" Wasabi took off his helm and the fake mustache he was wearing. "I would never!"
"The streetcar, robotics class, lunch with Aunt Cass." Hiro pulled up the evidence. "What's going on?"
Wasabi just turned to his side. "He's onto us guys!" Suddenly, his friends and sister came out of nowhere and they were all wearing fake mustaches.
"Seriously guys?!" Hiro exclaimed. "You've all been following me, even you?!" He gestured to Ari.
The sweater girl nervously chuckled. "Uh… we can explain?"
Later at Hiro's room...
"Explanation now."
"That's my line!" Gogo scoffed before going into explanation. "Look, first Obake captured you."
"Then there was that time monster Knox got you."
"And then NBB kidnapped you too!" Both the comic fan and his sister added.
He raised an eyebrow. "So?"
"It is becoming a pattern!" Wasabi pointed out.
"We just want you to be safe." Honey Lemon's voice of concern was sweet, but he felt irritated at the idea that his own friends didn't think he could protect himself.
He glared daggers at the group. "Seriously guys?"
"Well, why do you think I went to the woods with you and Krei?" Gogo asked him.
Hiro raised an eyebrow. "Uh because last time Baymax almost got thrown off of a cliff?"
"We almost got eaten by a bear." Fred pointed out, he glared at the comic fan too. "Btw I've also been tagging along on your many dates with Megan because that's something bad guys love to ruin, going on dates with people."
Hiro felt a blush on his face. "They're not dates!" Megan was just his friend, and even if he was going on dates with her, he didn't need a bodyguard/third-wheel! "Baymax, please tell them I can handle myself."
Baymax did not, he instead brought up photos of their examples. "That is not true, they are correct."
"...Really, Baymax?" Words could not describe the betrayal he felt.
"We're not trying to upset you Hiro." Honey Lemon tried to calm him down. "It's just, if you're right about Liv, you could be in big danger."
Hiro just pouted and slumped in his swivel chair. "What is with you guys thinking I'm a helpless little kid that needs protecting from the big bad villains of San Fransokyo?" Sarcasm dripped in his voice. "I'm a superhero too, y'know!"
"Yeah, a reckless one." Not even Ari spoke up in his defense.
He scoffed. "Oh yeah, you're one to talk about recklessness."
"Hey!" She protested. "Unlike you, I've been careful."
"Suree you are."
"Hey you-"
"Both of you have a point." Wasabi interrupted them. "Hiro in his superhero gear doesn't need help, but when he's not… you both are just regular kids."
"Kids that have been in danger before." Gogo added.
Ari bowed her head, knowing they told the truth while Hiro had never felt so offended in his life. "I am not a-!"
"Kids! Anyone want milk and cookies?" He was cut off by his aunt popping up the stairs with a tray of cookies and a few glasses of milk.
Fred raised his hand. "I'll take some."
"Me too!" Ari grinned at the sight of the chocolate chip cookies, her favorite kind.
Hiro merely pinched the bridge of his nose and accepted his fate. "Bring em' over…"
Cass handed Hiro the tray, and his friends each took a glass of milk. "Enjoy!"
"Thanks Aunt Cass." He mumbled, then she left them alone to their own devices again.
Ari was giggling at her brother. "Not a kid huh?" If looks could kill, Hiro would've destroyed her by now. "Toss over a cookie."
Hiro did what she asked, literally, and it hit her square on the noise. "Ow!"
Elsewhere, Karmi was still at the lab, but this time she was looking at a tablet and trying to scribble on a piece of paper. "Never realized this was so complicated…" She was getting so frustrated she crumbled up a piece of paper. "How does he make it so easy?!"
As she tossed the paper, she didn't hear it land on the floor. "How's Sycorax's favorite teen genius?" She turned around to see Chris and Liv behind her, the smiling assistant had deposited the paper ball into a nearby drone.
"I'm Sycorax's only teen genius." She blushed.
"Well, technically I was considered a teen genius, but you're correct." Liv pointed out, since she wasn't a teen anymore. "We're checking in on you, how's work?"
This could be the chance to sell her my idea! "I think I have a way to make sure the parasynths don't destroy the cure, and that answer is robotics!"
Liv raised an eyebrow. "I'm listening."
Karmi beamed, she was hearing her out! "I know it's out of the box, but in theory, microscopic robots could prevent the parasyths from swarming, and they wouldn't cause harm to the human body while doing it." She held up the tablet in her hands which showed a few robotics examples.
Chris clapped his hands. "Excellent work Karmi! We didn't know you were also a robotics prodigy, we would've put you on the tech development staff!"
Now this was the awkward part. "Well, I'm not an expert yet, but I'm a fast learner." She nervously chuckled. "Don't worry, I'll be coming up with a solution soon for the tech staff to use!"
Both the CEO and assistant look reassured at this. "I couldn't be more proud of you." Liv smirked.
Karmi could only grin from the praise. "I'll try my best!"
"You should take a break, we have a new hybrid guavacado spread on the brunch menu today." Chris suggested. "It's great on toast!"
Even as they left, Karmi couldn't take a break. She was on a roll, and she wasn't going to stop now! Maybe I could scavenge some materials to use from my school's robotics lab, they probably have some unused junk lying around.
But unaware to Karmi, once the door closed, Diane showed her true colors. "We're done with her." She gestured to the door.
Chris raised an eyebrow. "She's got a good idea though."
"I'm not trusting Liv's life with an inexperienced kid." She explained. "We need a real robotics expert."
"I'll start putting up an ad." He nodded.
Diane shook her head. "We don't have time to be polite… we'll get an expert, and they'll help us whether they like it or not."
Chris grinned. "I love the way you think."
They both started to chuckle as they thought about their plans, they would get what they want, no one would stop them now.
Ferns and Nerds group chat:
Hiro Hamada: Ha ha im in danger
Sienna Kline: From?
Hiro Hamada: my sister
TheLittleMermaid: You threw a cookie at me!
David Ferns: gasp
Sara Ferns: Not the cookies!
Hiro Hamada: I am hiding under the pantry send food help
TheLittleMermaid: The pantry you say?
Sienna Kline: Rip Hiro
David Ferns: We new him well
TheLittleMermaid: *knewaejwidifjdsjidjkiikjdsijk
Hiro Hamada: erfjiadsijsdsjisidjsiij
Hiro Hamada: khtrd0sadoxz
Sara Ferns: What on earth
Sienna Kline: I wonder if this is how people who speak other languages view ours…
Mikan Ferns: Destroy him Ari
Rachel Rosemary: ^
Gogo: im telling Hiro to scroll back on this convo
Rachel Rosemary: Uhhh go Hiro!
Gogo: That's what I thought
"So I'm still not happy about this secret babysitting service." Hiro explained to the others as they had meeted up at Fred's house.
Wasabi raised an eyebrow. "Buuut?"
"But you guys were right about there being a lot of danger out there so I-"
"Made upgrades?!" Fred was bouncing up and down like a kid in a candy store. "Tell me you made upgrades!"
"Let him finish, Fred." Gogo held his arm to prevent him from bouncing towards Hiro.
Hiro's smirk said it all. "Hiro did in fact make upgrades." As Baymax said that, their respective Skymaxex came down.
Fred started to happily dance, even after putting the ultra armor on. "Wait, nothing feels different!"
"I'll show you." Hiro went around to explain everyone's upgrades, Wasabi had the option of using a plasma shield and dagger now, not just his blades.
"This is so cool!" He tested it out.
Gogo now had a hover disk that she could use to fly around, and Honey Lemon got new chem boots. "This is fun!"
"Sure is." Gogo smiled as she tested the hover disk.
Finally, Hiro turned to Fred. "So how do you feel about headlights?"
"Head lice? I don't have head lice! As of two weeks ago I-" He muttered while rubbing the back of his head.
"No Fred, headlights."
He blinked. "Ohhhh." Then he tested it out.
"Gah!" Gogo used her hover disk as a shield to block out the light while Fred started rambling about what quip to use.
"He gets an upgrade and the first thing he thinks of is a quip?" Wasabi muttered under his breath.
To his surprise, Fred answered him. "Of course I gotta think of a quip when I'm dishing out bright justice!" Then he turned to Hiro. "Wait do I have-?"
"Super hearing?" Hiro smirked. "Yes."
The comic fan squealed with delight. "This is like Christmas and my birthday and 'The Human Fist Punches Up' premiere rolled into one moment!" He ran to the chemist. "Honey Lemon, let's jump for joy!" They both started jumping up and down from delight.
"Hiro." He turned around to see Baymax was the only one not fully geared up. "I appear to be missing armor piece 427."
The robotics genius winced as realized he hadn't finished everyone's upgrades. "Sorry Baymax. Your upgrade's at school. I have to finish it." He sent the others a glare. "Do not follow me."
He got eyerolls from the rest of the gang. "Would you prefer if we go on night patrol?" Wasabi offered.
"As long as it doesn't involve following me all day." He put the remaining pieces into Skymax and left.
"I'm excited to try out my new boots." Honey Lemon giggled.
Gogo thought otherwise. "I hope we have a peaceful night."
"You know Gogo, that just means our night patrol will have tons of action and fighting-ow!" Fred got cut off with Wasabi elbowing him in the chest.
Wasabi just shook his head at him. "Dude."
"What? What'd I say?!"
As Hiro placed his hand on the door to the robotics lab, he heard noises. "What's that?" He pressed an ear to the door. "Is someone in there?"
"Yes." Baymax nodded.
He peered inside and saw someone taking parts from the ping-pong bot. A thief! He realized.
"Hiro-"
He brought a finger to his lips. "Shhh." Thankfully the thief didn't hear either of them as they snuck in. There was a stapler on a nearby shelf he quietly grabbed to hit the thief with.
Weapon in hand, he snuck closer to the table, unaware Baymax was going for the lights. But just as he got close enough, the thief turned around.
"Ah!"
"Aaaah!" He swiped his stapler and the thief stumbled, but when the lights turned on, he realized who he hit with the stapler, as a pair of reddish-brown eyes were staring up in fear.
He didn't say a word, but Baymax did. "The intruder is Karmi."
"You could've said that earlier!" He gestured to the robot, as the realization that he hit his friend with a stapler. Oh man she's gonna kill me!
"You told me not to."
Karmi was glaring at him. "Can you put down the stapler now?"
Hiro quickly complied, helping her up. "What were you doing in the robotics lab anyways?"
"Well, if you must know, I'm working on a secret project."
On the table were some parts from the ping-pong bot's mechanisms, the ones that activated and deactivated it. "Uh, you might want to put those parts back."
"Oh, so no non-robotics majors can use stuff in the robotics lab?" Karmi dismissed it. "Way to hog all the science stuff-" She got cut off as the ping-pong bot did a 360 and whacked her back onto the ground. "Ow, ow, ow!"
Baymax waddled over, helping her back up again. "I was alerted to your need for-"
She held up her hand. "Nope! I'm good!"
"What's the robotics project for anyways?" Hiro narrowed his eyes. "For Liv?"
"Secret means I don't tell nosy nitwits." Karmi picked up the parts she collected. "I considered asking you for help, but since you hit me with a stapler-"
"You were taking parts from the ping-pong bot in the dark, total burglar behavior there Karms!"
She huffed. "Well anyways, with my background, robotics should be a total breeze!" As the biotech major left, she didn't notice Hiro's eye twitching angrily.
It came out as he put the finishing touches on Baymax's upgrade. "She's gone nuts, Baymax!" Hiro just couldn't hold it in anymore. "You can't just decide to become a robotics expert, it's ridiculous!"
"Most skills can be learned over time with diligence and hard work." Baymax pointed out.
Still Hiro continued to ramble. "She thinks she can be a biotech genius and a robotics genius? Who does she think she is, huh?! Tadashi?"
Baymax blinked in confusion. "Tadashi did not have the medical knowledge to build my healthcare matrix."
Hiro froze. "What?!" If his brother didn't program it, who did?
The healthcare companion turned on his screen to play another recording of Tadashi. His older brother in the video was adjusting the robot's eyes. Then a woman came into frame, based on her outfit she looked like a doctor or nurse, she had brown hair, green eyes, and wore glasses. "He looks amazing!" She looked up at the robot.
His brother smiled at her. "Well thanks, doc. But without your input, he'd just be a talking balloon."
She giggled. "Well, we make a great team!"
"Hello! I am-" Baymax fell over in the recording. "Horizontal."
Tadashi gave an awkward chuckle. "Uh… he still needs a few tweaks." The recording ended, Hiro just stared at it.
"Baymax, who was that lady?" He asked, she looked a little familiar for some reason.
"She was an older classmate of Tadashi's, who currently works at the Sunset Boulevard Hospital." Baymax explained. "Her name is Lillian Ac-"
"Ackerman, I know her." Hiro realized. Lillian, or Lily, was a senior at Whitepine when Tadashi was a freshman. She was always so nice, wanting to help people no matter who they were. "Nice to know she became a doctor like she always wanted."
He looked down, maybe he could help someone too…
"Who does he think he is?!" Karmi grumbled as she tinkered away with the screwdriver, tablet in hand for instructions.
Sure she could've turned the lights on when taking stuff from the robotics lab but did Hiro have to be so dramatic about it?!
She turned on the panel she was working on, it lit up, but then fizzled. "Ah!" It nearly singled her fingers as she shut it off. "Ohhh I am never going to figure it out at this rate!"
"Sounds like you could use some help."
At her lab entrance door was Hiro. "Great, came here to brag?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Listen, I-" As he leaned his arm over one of her desks, her eyes widened as he touched a purple plush.
"Don't touch Mr. Varicella Zoster!" She cut him off.
He glanced over at the plush. "Mister what?"
"He's a stuffed chicken pox virus." Karmi explained.
Hiro glanced at her, then the plush. "Where did you get that? I didn't know they made stuffed chicken pox viruses."
"They don't, Honey Lemon made me one." The memory of the chemist handing her a neatly wrapped box containing the soft plushie made her smile. "She even gave him a squeaker, it's very stress-relieving."
Hiro lifted his hand, as if he was about to test that, but one glare from Karmi made him put the hand down. "Well I came here because I wanted to offer my help."
"Well that's just-" She paused, as much as Karmi hated to admit it, she needed some help. "That'd be great…" She hoped the lighting in her lab was dark enough to hide the blush on her face, it would kill her if he commented on that!
Thankfully, he did not. "So, where should we start?" Karmi wasn't going to admit this out loud, but Hiro's comforting smile eased away all of her stresses of today.
Ferns and Nerds group chat:
Hiro Hamada: Hey Ari bring food over to the labs
TheLittleMermaid: What am I, your servant?
Hiro Hamada: No but aiesdijoidsajkdozkjifkodzx
Sienna Kline: Are you kidding? Right in front of my salad
Wasabi: dead meme
Hiro Hamada: Ari please we are starving : (((
TheLittleMermaid: Wait a minute
TheLittleMermaid: Karmi, did you take my brother's phone?!
Mikan Ferns: Wait, is that Karmi?!
Mikan Ferns: Hold up u know her phone number Ari?! tell me!
David Ferns: Mika NO
Hiro Hamada: I feel like I've made a mistake o.o
Sienna Kline: I wish I ordered popcorn
David Ferns: Oh that's why you're on the group chat. Rofl
Hiro Hamada: ewijdijidjjisjids
Hiro Hamada: Sis please we are skin and bones over here
Mikan Ferns: I'm taking custody of Baymax when you die
TheLittleMermaid: Not on my watch! :T Omw with Noodle Burger
Hiro Hamada: Yayyyy
Fredzilla: Noodle Burger Boy whyyy
Gogo: Didn't the joke die last semester?
"How about this?"
"Hmm. Nah, wouldn't work."
"Aw, bummer." Karmi put the tablet down, at least they were working faster due to having a full belly.
Though recalling Ari's teasing made her feel like she was about to combust.
"You two are sooo cute together, does this count as your first date?" She joked before tossing them the Noodle Burger bags and running out. Hiro grumbled something about little sisters afterwards. Karmi could relate, her own little sister could be annoying at times, but she still loved Haley with all of her heart.
Speaking of Hiro, he stopped typing. "What's up?" She raised an eyebrow.
He swiveled over to his computer. "What if I made a micro version of my nanobots? That could work!"
It could. They were easy to command, based on what she heard about them from the showcase. "But they'd have to be extremely nano." She pointed out.
Hiro clicked something on his computer and the 3D printer in the lab got to work, but only for a few seconds.
"Did that work?" She turned to Hiro.
"I have no idea."
Baymax getting out of his charging station got their attention. "The nanobot is too small to see with the human eye."
Hiro winced. "That's gonna be a problem."
But luckily, Karmi already had a solution in mind. "No it's not, follow me."
After Hiro made a few more nanobots and bottled them up, she used her microscope to carefully put them in a petri dish, then hooked the microscope to a screen projector.
"Woah." The robotics genius adjusted the neurotransmitter on his head. "This could work!"
Karmi chuckled as he tested moving and watching the nanobots on screen reflect his moves. "We have to see if they can survive inside the body first." She held a dropper full of water to place in the dish.
Hiro just smirked. "Aw c'mon I'm sure they-" But the nanobots on-screen disconnected from each other the moment the water touched them. "What just happened?"
"The liquid's messing up with the signal." Karmi explained, then playfully punched his shoulder. "But don't worry! I know how to fix it."
As she went to inspect the petri dish, Hiro's chuckling turned into a more serious look. "Hey, you never exactly explained what this is for. All you said was it's something about para-whatever."
"It's complicated… and it's parasyths, I got it wrong too." Karmi wasn't sure if she was supposed to explain this, Liv told her explicitly not to tell anyone. But Hiro was her partner for this project, she couldn't keep this information from him. "There's a patient infected with those things who don't have a lot of time left."
His eyes widened. "Oh jeez, now I feel terrible thinking it was-"
"Some evil mustache twirling scheme because you're convinced my boss is an evil manipulative mastermind behind creating the monsters?" Karmi rolled her eyes. Typical Hiro, always so paranoid.
Hiro made a face. "Well I haven't been convinced otherwise but yes."
"Just don't tell anyone, Liv would kill me if she found out I told someone top secret information!" Her friend's eyes widened in horror. "Okay she wouldn't kill me literally, but she'd get really mad-"
"Let's just move on and see what thing you have to fix the wireless issue." Hiro stammered.
Meanwhile…
Just outside the outskirts of SFIT, two of its former students were having a chat.
"You've been looking really happy lately." Wendy told the professor. "Anything good happen?"
Sally merely replied with a smile. "Well, let's just say I've been sharing some stories about my youth to my kids."
"Did you tell them about the-"
"No I did not tell them about the firework-rocket launcher story, thanks again for mentioning that to them." Sally glared while her friend laughed.
Wendy eventually stopped laughing at the poor professor. "You have to admit, that wasn't one of your best ideas."
Sally looked like she wanted to argue, but Wendy had a point. "Yeah… we had a lot of fun at SFIT though."
"Yeah, I miss those days." Wendy glanced at the building. "Wonder what the rest of our peers are up to these days."
Rustle-rustle.
She froze. "Was that a deer?"
"Hm." Sally frowned. "Let me check." She walked over to the moving bush, when she tried sticking her hand in, a small green creature bounced out.
"Mayoi!" Oh, it was just a Mayoi. They only really showed up nowadays when Sparkles was around-Wait a minute. Sally froze in horror.
"Um… Wendy?" She turned to her friend, noticing the nearby bushes were a little furrier than normal. "We should run." But before they could move, the bushes lunged at them.
Wendy screamed in terror as the Mayoi grabbed onto her, Sally tried to help but the Mayoi pinned her down to the ground.
Maniacal laughter filled the air as someone emerged, sitting on a throne of his leafy creatures. "Two for the price of one, awesome!" Sparkles cackled.
"Get away from us!" Wendy yelled at him. "Help! Someone!"
Sally tried getting up but there were so many Mayoi pinning her down. "Let her go!"
Sparkles just laughed at her. "Nice try, lady! Now I have two new monster makers for the price of one! Can't have you go telling Big Hero 6 about my plans now, can I?" That just made Wendy cry for help louder.
Meanwhile, across the city…
Fred extended his ear as he heard something. "Woah, I can hear someone screaming for help across the city, nice!" He then danced. "Super hearing is awesome!" Gogo glared at him. "I mean screaming… so bad, we should help."
"Yep." Gogo nodded.
Wendy continued to struggle against the Mayoi gripping her, she glared up at Sparkles. "What even are you? Some part… plant thing?"
"Kind of, yes, not important now." Sparkles clapped his hands. "Let's focus on the coming with me part!"
"I am not going with you, plant man!" She managed to break the "chain" of Mayoi gripping her and ran for it.
"Run Wendy, run like the wind!" Sally called after her.
Sparkles growled in anger. "I'm not a plant man. I'm a fun guy!" He got a glare from Sally. "No technically, I am a fungi." His eyes glowed green, four of the Mayoi hopped up top and whistled. More and more Mayoi came out of the greenery like a hive of bees.
Wendy's eyes widened in horror at the sight of the swarm of Mayoi.
"HELP!"
Hiro looked up. "Did you hear something?"
"Nope." Karmi shrugged. She had set up this contraption with a rose hooked up to a lightbulb, he was curious what it was gonna do. "Anyways, I've been working on building circuitry into organic material." She grabbed a spray bottle. "Watch this."
She spritzed some of the dark blue liquid onto the flower, the rose beeped as there were little circuits in it like a nervous system, sending an electric pulse that turned the lightbulb on.
"Wow." Hiro stared at it. "That's-"
"Genius?" She batted her eyes at him,
He chuckled. "Sure."
She then grabbed a syringe-full of the stuff inside the bottle. "If we coated the nanobots in an organic substance, creating a membrane capable of emitting chemical systems." She placed the stuff inside the dish, Hiro looked on-screen as the circuits were coating the bots. "They should be able to communicate with each other inside the body."
Hiro picked up the neurotransmitter. "Well, moment of truth." He placed it on his head, and nodded to Karmi, she nodded back and placed water inside the dish. "Hope this works."
"Me too." She watched as he turned on the neurotransmitter and concentrated. It had to work, it had to do! She prayed.
As if her prayers were answered, the nanobots activated on-screen.
Hiro beamed. "It worked!"
"Yes!" Karmi scooped the robotics genius into a hug, they both stared at each other awkwardly. She slowly placed him down. "I mean… good job." Karmi nervously patted him on the shoulder.
"You too." He chuckled, nervously patting back. "But seriously, that solution was amazing!" He picked up the pot with the flower.
Karmi just grabbed the neurotransmitter and stared at it in awe. "My mind is still blown by the neurotransmitter!"
"This is what Tadashi wanted." Hiro stated, staring up at the screen. "Robotics and bio working together to help people."
"I'm really sorry about Tadashi." He turned to face Karmi, she looked to have an expression of regret and sadness. "I always admired him. I mean, Baymax is incredible."
"Did you ever meet him?" He asked her, to his surprise she nodded.
"Kind-of." She gestured. "The Fern kids kind of roped him into their 'bothering me' schemes, he always calmly told them to leave me alone. One time I asked why he defended me and he said…"
Karmi took a deep breath. "That he understood that I liked my space, and if I wanted to talk to someone then I could reach out on my own. I didn't know what to say… so I just thanked him and went on my way." She sighed. "I don't think he'd like me very much considering how much we bicker."
He lightly chuckled. "Pretty sure he'd join Ari on the shipping bandwagon." They both started giggling now. "But, Tadashi didn't make Baymax on his own. He had help." Both of them were just smiling at each other now, staring into the other's eyes. Hiro never really noticed how vibrant Karmi's reddish-brown eyes were until now-
Ring-ring! He blinked, picking up his phone and noticing that Gogo was calling. "Sorry." He took a few steps back to answer it.
"Sparkles has Wendy Wower and Professor Ferns."
"What?!"
"He's heading towards Torii Gate Bridge." The call then cut off, from what he heard, the others were in a mad rush to rescue the two before it was too late.
Hiro flashed Karmi an awkward smile. "I have to go." But on his way out he bumped into the door, he awkwardly chuckled before opening it and then heading out, rubbing his head before picking into a sprint.
Karmi just chuckled at his antics. "Weirdo."
Meanwhile…
"Wow!" Sara grinned, seeing the bay below the bridge. "I never really stopped to notice the view here."
"You should, it's really great during the sunset." That was her friend Joshua Pines. Josh had unkempt reddish-brown hair, light brown skin, and dull green eyes, he usually wore comfortable baggy clothes. She was just chilling with him, and their other friend Tabitha Roman, or Tabby as she liked to be called.
"Yeah!" Tabby chuckled. "We haven't seen you in awhile, has science school been keeping you hostage or something?" Tabby had creamy blonde hair that went down to her shoulders, tan skin, and dark brown eyes.
Most notable were the dark patches of vitiligo on her limbs and face, which were scattered in a stripe-like pattern, she'd like to interpret. She always wore sporty clothes and a varsity jacket. "You did tell us about this interview thing with Krei and Liv… heard that was crazy."
Sara nervously chuckled. "You could say that…"
"You can tell us the whole story later." Josh started to play a rockabilly tune on the radio. "We need to hang out more."
"We do." Sara nodded, then tilted her head. "Wait, do you guys hear that?"
Tabby poked her head out of the window, then gasped. "Uh, Josh?"
Screaming and people running past them got their attention, both of them looked behind to see a moving green wall of Mayoi heading towards them.
"Nope!" Sara abandoned the car and immediately booked it, her two friends following after her.
"I'm a Woweroo, I love science, yes I do!" Sally stared numbly at the bay as Wendy was singing loudly to the Mayoi. "I'm a Woweroo, I love science-"
"Are you trying to annoy me into letting you go?" Sparkles narrowed his eyes.
Wendy grinned. "Why yes, is it working?"
The deranged show host just laughed at her. "No! It's quite nice, keep singing!" Wendy pouted that her plan failed.
"Nice try." Sally tried to comfort her.
"Scanning. Scanning. Scanning." In the skies, Baymax was tracking down where Sparkles was, a beep signaled Hiro that he found him.
"Baymax, activate jet packs." Hiro commanded, the robot beeped, not a few seconds later he heard the whir of the jetpacks as they flew over. He backflipped as the jetpacks attached itself onto Baymax, and held on tight.
The jetpack whirred, before powering to life and rocketing through the skies at breakneck speed.
Hiro laughed at the sudden adrenaline rush. "Hahaha! Whoo!" He flew past Sparkles before landing in front of the swarm of Mayoi, the rest of his team behind him. "Put down the professors Sparkles."
He raised an eyebrow. "Why should I?"
"Big Hero 6 has beaten you before, and we'll do it again." Gogo readied her disks.
Sparkles merely shrugged at the heroes. "You're right, six heroes against one villain is boring!"
"But three villains…"
A voice they hadn't heard in awhile echoed around them as a roar from a distance was heard.
Fred's eyes widened, he knew that roar. "It can't be…"
"I know that voice." Wasabi had a similar expression, glancing up to see Momakase leaping down from the top of the bridge.
While behind them, a monster tore through cars to arrive at the scene, a monster they thought was gone.
"Knox?" Hiro gasped as the socialite, now a monster once more, joined Momakase and Sparkles on the opposite side of the road.
Sparkles cackled at their reactions. "Plot twist!" Then pulled out a mic from nowhere. "Ladies, gentleman, and everyone else, it's the entertainment event of the season; the defeat of Big Hero 6!"
"Should've known it wasn't the last of monster Knox." Fred muttered under his breath. "And also, that's phase three stuff and we're still in phase two!" There was a tense silence.
"Dude, why?" Wasabi deadpanned. "Just why?"
"Guess we're changing the script." Momakase then lunged at him.
"Woah!" Fred yelped as he tried avoiding her claws, luckily Wasabi came to his aid.
She just smirked. "Ooh, I see you brought new toys." His plasma shield kept the claws at bay.
"Sure did." Gogo tossed a disk at Knox, he shook it off as Honey Lemon snuck past him. The disk formed into a hover disk and she hopped on, dodging his lunge.
Fred hopped in front of her and flashed his headlights at Knox. "You're a real light weight!" He quipped. Knox peered his eyes open and threw two cars at Fred, which killed his headlights.
The comic fan screamed as Knox chased him. "No, you're right! You're very heavy, I'll work on it!"
Sparkle's maniacal laughter filled the air as Gogo barraged him with disks that the Mayoi absorbed. At least with the hover disk she could shake off the Mayoi swarming her. Honey Lemon sighed with relief at that.
"Let us go, creep!" She looked up, seeing Sparkles had used the other Mayoi to distract her girlfriend so he could retreat up the bridge with Wendy and Sally in tow.
"Seriously, we will die if you drop us!" Sally exclaimed, looking quite fearful at how high up they were.
"You're just jealous I have brighter hair than both of you combined!" He snapped back at them.
The chemist had to do something. "Hang on, Dr. Wower and Professor Ferns!" She readied her bazooka, and hit Sparkles right in the head. He groaned as he was encased in ice.
"Great shot!" Wendy told her.
"Thanks!" She shot some softer goop down on the ground, so the ladies and the Mayoi had a comfortable landing. Honey Lemon then slid up to them. "Are you both okay?"
Wendy nodded. "Woweroo's always are."
"I've been through worse." Sally gestured.
Unfortunately for Wasabi, he ended up being knocked over by Momakase. "You're not much of a match anymore." She tapped his boots with the tip of her claws.
"He might be." Momakase turned around as Baymax landed close. "Red Panda, overdrive mode!"
"We've done this before and it didn't turn out well for you." She reminded the duo.
Baymax looked rather intimidating in his new form, he had never done overdrive mode in his ultra armor before. "Overdrive mode, now with extra battery reserves." He then flew and tackled her, she was knocked upwards but landed on his back. Baymax then skyrocketed up, catching her off guard. Hiro smirked at the sight, proud of his work.
"Aaah!" He turned as Fred was tossed like a ragdoll by Knox, and the socialite turned monster was staring at him hungrily. Uh oh…
"Hey Captain!" Wasabi called out to him. "If you have an upgrade, now would be a good time to use it!"
"Not yet." Hiro readied his gauntlets, he dodged a blow while tossing a magnet on the top of the bridge. "Almost there!" He tossed another one across, while continuing to dodge the fangs and claws. "Now!" His gauntlets glowed and the magnets formed an electrical rope, he pulled himself upward, then launched himself down and kicked Knox straight into the bay!
Wasabi and Fred just stared at the sight. "Woah."
"I'm impressed!" The latter clapped. "And a little jealous…"
"Mayoi! Mayoi! Mayoi!" The group turned as the Mayoi started piling on top of Sparkles, and exhaling their breath to defrost him enough to speak.
"Snuggle power." He wheezed. "Adorable!"
Clang!
Baymax's sword fell to the ground. "Oh, no!" Hiro glanced up and saw at the top of the bridge, Momakase was getting the upper hand, and the robot's eyes flickered yellow, indicating he was low on power.
Quickly thinking, he attached a magnet onto the sword, and threw it up. And all he saw was electricity cackling, an explosion, and the mercenary being the one to fall into the bay were it not for Mayoi acting as a float.
Knox and Sparkles were on similar Mayoi floats, both of them soaking wet. "You got lucky!" Momakase yelled at the superheroes, before floating away into the fog.
"Well, are we gonna talk about Knox now?" Fred stated. "I'm in shock, poor guy!"
"Agreed." Sally nodded. "But I'm sure he'll turn back to normal again, you gave him and the other baddies a thrashing."
"Sal!" Wendy nudged her. "Remember to thank them for saving us!"
The professor rolled her eyes, but smiled at their saviors. "Thank you Big Hero 6, for saving us from that crazy show host."
"No problem." Gogo flashed a thumbs up.
Hiro also did the gesture. "Let's get you both home."
"I'm a Woweroo, I love science, yes I do!" They looked up, seeing a low-battery Baymax drifting down via rocket fist. "Bye bye green fluffies!"
Later at Fred's house...
As Baymax drunkenly played with Fred's action figures, the former and Honey Lemon crashed asleep on the couch, using Wasabi as their pillow. "I guess it was a long day for them." He noticed.
Hiro glanced over to Baymax. "Him too, I should take him home to charge."
"Yes, yes you should." Wasabi nodded. "Gogo, you should take your girlfriend home to charge as well."
She rolled her eyes at the pun. "Very funny, but I will." Gogo looked over to Hiro, who was deep in thought. "You okay?"
"Liv was behind this, I just know it!" He groaned. "But… Why did she take Dr. Wower and Professor Ferns?"
"According to Sally and Wendy, he said to make more mons-"
"Sparkles also said he was behind the monsters, and he's a known liar." Gogo glared at Wasabi, cutting him off. "Whatever the reason, we have to stop her."
"And soon." He nodded. "I have a very bad feeling about her next move…"
Needless to say, Diane was not happy hearing Big Hero 6 foiled another plan. "They keep getting in the way. I want them gone!"
She needed Wendy Wower to help with the robotics part of the cure! Granted, kidnapping a useless professor didn't seem like a good idea, but she could've used her as a hostage. She had to give Sparkles credit for actually using his brain.
"Hm." The annoyed look in Momakase's eyes made her want to hit something, the other two were making a mess behind her. "Big Hero 6 was a problem for my former employer as well."
Where was she going with this? "And?"
"And… I can tell you the identity of their leader." Momakase's eyes narrowed into slits. "Hiro Hamada."
Diane just froze, she had got to be kidding. "You've got to be kidding, the kid with the robot? I hate that kid!"
"Ouch." Chris commented, she shot him a withering glare.
Still, the mercenary continued her point. "Separate the child from the rest and they'll be easy to defeat."
"Finally some useful information." Her laptop beeped, indicating someone by the door.
"It appears you have a visitor." Chris sniffed the air to identify them. "Karmi."
Diane glanced at the villains. "Everyone, out!"
Karmi felt her nerves shot up as the door opened, but luckily, Liv and Chris were there to greet her. "Karmi, how's the special project going?"
"I think I've actually had a real breakthrough." She lifted up the potted plant on her way in, it was knocked down for some reason. "I got some help from Hiro. I hope that's okay."
Liv raised an eyebrow. "Hiro Hamada?"
"I know!' Karmi groaned. "He's usually the worst." Not really, it was more in a running joke to be honest. "But he had a robotics solution I think that will really work." The CEO and her assistant exchanged glances, then Chris walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Karmi, I want to commend the work you've been doing. Truly exemplary."
"Thank you!"
Her boss/friend walked up to her. "I think you're due for a promotion! Or as I like to call it…" But then her face slowly contoured into an eerie grin. "An upgrade."
All she could do was glance at Chris, who was also grinning, then back at Liv. "Why are you looking at me like that?" There was a feeling of dread in her chest. "Liv, what d-do you mean by an upgrade?"
Liv just laughed at her. "Oh, my sweet naive intern!" The grip Chris had on her got tighter. "You've been useful for now. But you'll be serving a greater purpose in a few minutes."
"Gr-greater purpose?" She stammered. What was she talking about? It was like Liv was acting like another person, or rather… it then dawned on her. "P-please tell me you're not talking about what I think you're talking about."
"You mean the monsters? Well yes." Now she saw the malicious grin. "I have to thank you for your extradermal nanoreceptors."
"Quite helpful when making the Hibagon." Chris nodded. She tried to flee, but he grabbed her by the ponytail, the sharp pain making her yelp. "Oh, don't scream! I hate it when kids scream, always so loud."
"Why would you do this?!" Betrayal flashed in her reddish-brown eyes. "You were responsible for it all, Knox, the villains, the attacks on my friends, Why?!"
Liv just kept smirking. "Nothing personal, it's just business." She came closer, dragging a finger across her neck, it made Karmi feel sick.
"You're a monster."
Another sharp pain in her neck followed as Liv moved another hand out of her sight. "That's funny, the city would say my pets are the true monsters, if you're so insistent on that, why don't you join them-"
"NO!" Fear in her veins pumped the adrenaline, she shoved Chris away, causing him to release his grip on her. Then Karmi ran, and she ran like her feet were on fire. Not listening to the two's maniacal laughter, and the pain her chest got sharper as she felt tears on her face.
Hiro was right all along, he was right she hurt me she's crazy- She didn't know how long she ran for. But Karmi felt herself running to her school lab, and curling up into a ball.
She had to call for help though, so she pulled up her phone, quickly dialing a number. "Please answer, please answer, please answer." Hiro's face showing on the screen made her stop crying. "You were right about Liv!"
"What?!" He gasped. "Wait, what's going on?" The concern in his eyes was just so genuine, so kind… more kinder than the woman she thought was her "bff."
"She just went crazy and turned on me." Karmi explained. "I ran. I'm hiding at school."
Hiro had a look of determination in his eyes. "I'll be right there. Don't worry Karms." Then the call shut off, and all she could do was curl under her lab table and pray he got here before Liv did.
Superhero Squad group chat:
Captain Cutie: 911 EMERGENCY GUYS LIV ATTACKED KARMS
Ariel: WHAT?!
Flame Jumper: OMG
Speed Queen: Hiro where are you?!
Captain Cutie: AT SFIT COME ASAP NOWJDSSAD
Captain Cutie: CAN'T FLY AND TEXT JUST COME OVER
Chop Chop: We'll be there as soon as possible!
Chem Girl: Poor Karmi! Liv is gonna pay for hurting our girl!
Ariel: I'm coming to help!
Speed Queen: ARI NO
Chop Chop: BAD IDEA NOPE VETO DENY
Flame Jumper: Seriously Ari you know who Liv has under her control DO NOT GO
Ariel: I'm going Karmi is my friend you can't stop me!
Chem Girl: ARI PLEASE DON'T
Ari shut off her phone. "Sorry guys, but I can't sit and wait at home this time."
It took awhile to get to SFIT, but thankfully she had gotten the text not at home, as her aunt was okay with her visiting a nearby ice cream place before going home. So thankfully she was able to see the silhouette of SFIT in a few minutes of running.
"Almost there Karmi!" As she ran into the quad, her mind couldn't help but think about the last time she had been here during an emergency, the open house attack. Don't think about that brain.
But something tackling her to the ground did make her think about her surroundings. Ari quickly pulled out her water bottle out of her pocket and bent the contents at her attacker.
Only to stop as she saw those mindless yellow eyes once more and cerulean scales. "Jun-" Thanks to her water, the electricity bounced off of Juniper, and she felt an agonizing pain. A flash of mint-green went by her vision followed by more pain, and Ari dropped to the ground, but didn't black out.
However she wished she was, her vision blurred thanks to how painful it was to keep her eyes open, she could barely even feel the fangs digging into her skin, or feel her body being dragged across grass and stone. She just felt a paralyzing numb feeling through her entire body.
But a shrill laugh piercing the air gave her the strength to open her eyes and her vision became more clear. "Look what the cat dragged out of the bag!" Hazel eyes sneered at her. "Or should I say eel."
"Liv." Ari croaked out, she saw in the corner of her eye something green blasting- "Baymax-"
"Uh-uh-uh!" The woman tsked. "Y'know, for someone close to two bright prodigies, you were rather easy to break, you were so desperate for answers after Bridgeton, it was so laughably sad!"
She just slumped, not bothering to bite back, despite the agony of betrayal and heartbreak in her chest. I hope Karmi's okay… The green blur, Bessie, dragged an unmoving Baymax over. "Get his armor off and load him in the car!" Liv commanded.
"But what about the kids?" She heard Chris.
"Don't worry." Liv pulled up her phone. 'They're already handled." The CEO then turned to her. "And as for you." She clicked a few more buttons, and the grip on her released.
Ari watched High Voltage slither away somewhere, but she was too exhausted to move. "You're going to be a surprise for the main act."
That was all she heard before feeling a sharp pain, and then it all went black.
All Hiro heard was his own breathing, he had removed his armor. Didn't want to reveal his identity, but still, he felt guilt over abandoning Baymax to the wrath of Bessie. "H-help Karmi." The robot told him, and so he ran inside.
"Karmi!" He whispered, running in her lab.
"Hiro?" She was crouched under her table, it took all his effort not to tackle-hug her. She was okay! "Is that you?"
"Yeah!" He ran to her side. "Liv's outside."
She shivered, fear flashed in her eyes. "Now what!?"
"We'll find a way out." Hiro told her. "We make a great team." He held his hand out.
"Yeah." She took it, smiling at him. "We do."
He smiled back. "It's gonna be okay Karms." They got up. "I remember there being an exit by the quad-"
Beep beep beep.
Hiro whipped his head around, and to his worst nightmare… he saw the lines of a chip on Karmi's neck. "Oh, no." This wasn't real, this wasn't real. "Oh nononono-"
"What?" Poor Karmi was confused, unaware of what was about to happen to her.
He reached out to touch the chip, but she pushed him away, her mind flashing back to Liv's cold touch.
"No!" She couldn't process her sudden reaction as her reddish-brown eyes widened, the pain kicking in.
Karmi groaned as she clutched her chest and shook as her other hand was on the table. Then she screamed, Hiro felt his horror intensify as her mouth turned to sharp fangs, her skin taking a sickening green color, and claws growing on her hands and feet, breaking her clothing.
"H-Hi-Hiro!" She was screaming. "R-Run!" He tried reaching for her, but by the time he did, it was too late.
Her eyes turned into green slits with black sclera, webbing on her back and elbows, her hair a mass of tentacles. Karmi loomed over him, not as a human, but a monster.
He stammered, trying to run for the door, but she grabbed him by his jacket. Her other claw grabbed the neurotransmitter and nanobots, and she jumped out the window, letting out a hideous screech.
He felt a shard of glass slice across his nose, and he screamed in pain, not from her claws gripping his torso, not from the blood flowing from the cut...
But from the pain that he failed to protect his friend from the clutches of Liv.
I'm so sorry Karms.
And it was too late to do anything.
AN: So uh
that happened.
COM straight up hit my children with the angst bat and I was like :3 time to make it worse. I shall not comment about what'll happen to Ari but you will find out next week!
It was not fun writing Karmi's POV when she found out the truth : ((((. I saw this ep when it first came out and the wait till the next ep was AGONIZING like I could not sleep bc I was so horrified by that ending.
Just... why ;-;
Anyways QOTW: What are you scared is gonna happen next chapter.