Hiro felt like head was about to split open.
The name had done something to him, had triggered another memory spark. Although he had read the name on the chip and had experienced a memory spark already, this was so much stronger. Of course he had suspected that this Tadashi Hamada must have been someone special if his name alone triggered him, but he hadn't thought about it too much. He must have been just been someone from his past life, Hiro thought.
Hearing the strangers tell him that he was Tadashi Hamada's little brother had been a shock. The dreams about his dream big brother that had hurt him so much, had made him wish so badly to have a brother for real. It was only now that he realized that those dreams might have been so much more than wishful thinking. Maybe they were visions from his past, trying to tell him something was wrong.
He was doubled over, his hands gripping onto his temples as he tried so hard to bear with the pain. The wound on his temple was pulsating, pain radiating from deep inside his brain all the way down his spine. The pain was getting so intense that he could hardly breathe. Everything was spinning and turning, voices calling his name and shouting. He could feel someone touching him, could feel hands on his back, but he couldn't react. His whole body was going numb with the pain getting only stronger. No matter how hard he tried to ease the pain and get better, the pain kept pulling him down further into the darkness until he felt like he was falling. Falling through the darkness.
"Are you okay?"
He blinked his eyes open slowly and found himself back at the same place where he had been last time he had been asleep. The majestic red bridge towered over him as he lay on the ground. The sky was grey, covered by clouds. The silence around him surprised Hiro. There was not a single car around, not a single person and not even the waves nor the wind made any sound.
"Hiro." The voice called again softly. "Are you alright?"
"I-I guess …" he mumbled and slowly sat up. When he rubbed his head to try and ease the uncomfortable feeling he noticed that the wound on his temple was there, but not hurting. He saw the wound on his knee and the swelling of his ankle, but neither hurt. He must have blacked out, he figured as he looked around.
The bridge was the same as always, the mist on the other side of it was still there, too. But Hiro couldn't help but feel like something was different this time.
"You're injured." The voice said and sounded upset. "Does it hurt?"
Hiro smiled a bit at the concern in the man's voice and stood up slowly. He stood on his hurt ankle and took a deep breath as he enjoyed the absence of all the pain. It felt like ages since he had last felt this good. "It did hurt, but not right now." He told the voice. "I guess this is another dream …"
"I guess so. A dream …" The voice agreed and silence spread again. Hiro watched the mist shine softly in the distance, his eyes fixed to the white substance. Whoever this voice belonged to must have been hiding in there, he thought. But why? Why hide?
"I … can I ask you something?" Hiro asked softly, unsure whether this was a good idea. "So much happened today and … I'm confused …"
"Sure." The voice agreed immediately. "You can always ask me anything."
Hiro smiled again and thought about what he should ask first. So many questions had come up within just the last couple of hours, he didn't even know where to begin. He wanted to know where he was, who the voice belonged to, who all those strangers were and why he felt so at home around Fred. Why were all these people risking their lives to take him back to the city … there was so much he didn't know and didn't understand. It took him a bit to figure out what to ask the man first. He considered asking what seemed most logical, but eventually he decided to go with his gut and ask the question that resonated with him the most at the moment.
"Who … do you someone named Tadashi Hamada …?"
There was silence for a long time afterwards. The voice had fallen completely silent and Hiro could feel how the atmosphere had changed. It wasn't a bad feeling that spread in his stomach, but he could feel the tension. For a second he considered whether he should take the question back, but he decided to stand his ground and wait. He needed to know who this person was and if he really was his older brother … if he really did have a family despite of what Obake had told him.
"Yes, I know Tadashi Hamada." The voice eventually said softly. Hiro thought he could hear the man's voice shaking as he spoke. "He was a good guy … or at least I like to think that he was."
"Was?" Hiro repeated, confused. "He's not anymore?"
"No, he's … gone." The voice said softly. "He put his trust in the wrong person and had to pay the price."
"What are you talking about?" Hiro asked. "Trusted the wrong person? What does that mean?" The voice sighed softly and for a moment the mist on the other side darkened. Hiro furrowed his brow at the strange sight ahead. "Who did he trust? And how did he-"
"Tadashi was killed." The voice cut him off. "The person he tried to save left him to die. And Tadashi left behind his little brother and aunt … the only family they had left."
"Tadashi's … little brother?" Hiro repeated, his heart beating quicker. Hearing that Tadashi Hamada had been killed had shocked him. But what resonated with him even more was the fact that the man had actually had a younger brother. The strangers that had tried to get him away from Obake had said that he had a big brother and his dreams had told him the same. His whole body tensed as he felt that he knew what was coming. "W-Who's his little brother?"
"Hiro," the voice said softly, "do you know who I am?"
He didn't really know what to reply to the voice's question. The same question had come up before and had bothered him because he knew he should know the answer but didn't. Hiro tried to think about what to say but felt like it wasn't necessary. Deep down he felt like he knew who he was talking to. Although he had no memories of Tadashi Hamada it was all coming together – the voice that had always felt somewhat familiar, the dreams of the man whom he resembled so very much and the name that had triggered him. There was only one way to explain.
"Y-You're … Tadashi? You're my … brother?"
Once Hiro said the words the world around him suddenly shifted. There was a strong gust of wind and the clouds disappeared. He watched them dissolve above of him and the gray fade. The sky changed and the dark colors brightened until the sky was a sparkling blue with the sun shining brightly. He squinted against the light and watched as the red bridge stood majestically against the beautiful sky.
As Hiro's eyes wandered down the pillars of the bridge he soon noticed the mist on the other side of the bridge fading. The white dust was ebbing away, slowly disappeared into nothingness and revealed the figure of a man standing amid it all. The man was tall and had a slender figure. Hiro could make out the black hair, the fair skin and dark eyes even from so far away and didn't need to think for long before realizing who this person was.
"T-Tadashi?" he asked quietly and stared at his brother on the other side of the bridge. His brother, whom he had lost in a fire at university and who he loved so dearly. His older brother who had always watched out and cared for him, even when he had been reckless and who got him into the best school he could have ever asked for.
Suddenly, so many memories came flooding back. He remembered the time Tadashi had saved him at the botfight when he had gotten into trouble, the time Tadashi had tricked him into meeting his friends at the university and the time Tadashi had helped him overcome his fear of speaking in front of an audience. His brother's face was carved into Hiro's mind, but strangely enough, this time the memories didn't hurt. They overcame him like a wave of warmth and nostalgia, made him feel comforted and yet somehow sad. He couldn't believe that he was finally looking at the man who meant the world to him … and that he had actually forgotten about him.
Without worrying whether the bridge would carry him or not Hiro started running. He set foot on the bridge and ran as fast as his legs would carry him. Tears were running down his face as he looked at the silhouette of his brother getting closer with each step he took. His feet were secure on the ground, the bridge did not let him fall this time.
When he got close enough he saw Tadashi's eyes filled with tears. A sad smile had spread on his brother's face as Hiro threw himself into his arms and hugged him close. His face was buried in the older's chest as he cried harder than he could ever remember. Sobs were escaping him as he gripped onto his brother, his hands clenched. Tadashi wrapped his arms around him and rested his chin on top of Hiro's head, tears dripping down his chin and into Hiro's black hair.
"I-I'm so sorry …!" Hiro cried into his brother's shirt, barely able to form words. His heart was aching so badly, he felt horrible for having forgotten his brother. "T-Tadashi … I'm s-so sorry …!" he kept calling out. Tadashi just held him tightly and rubbed his back, quietly telling him that it was alright and that it wasn't his fault.
They stayed in that position for what felt like ages, just holding onto each other. Hiro kept crying heavily, unable to stop. He had never felt this overwhelmed by his emotions and didn't know how to handle himself. He didn't know how to stop crying or how to fully express how guilty he felt for having forgotten his big brother. He didn't know what to do, but he did know that he never wanted this moment to end. If possible, he would have wanted to stay here, on this bridge in the bay until he died of old age. Although he could not fully remember the night he had lost Tadashi or how he had felt back then … he was sure that he would not be able to ever experience this kind of pain again.
"Are you okay?" Tadashi asked quietly when Hiro had finally calmed down a little bit. There were still tears dripping down his cheeks, but he slowly started to feel like he was able to think more clearly. And so he nodded against his brother's chest.
"Y-Yeah …" he mumbled and rubbed the tears off his cheeks. He slowly lifted his head to look up at the smiling face of Tadashi. "I'm … I-I'm so sorry …" he repeated, the tears coming again. "I-I didn't mean to forget …"
"Hey." Tadashi slowly knelt down in front of him and put his hands on Hiro's shoulders. It was a gentle touch, unlike anything Hiro had ever experienced. "Listen to me. It's not your fault, you hear me? There was nothing you could have done to stop it. Nothing." He repeated the last word strongly, leaving no doubt in Hiro's mind that he was telling the truth. But he still felt guilty and couldn't stop himself from asking: "I-If it's not my fault … then whose is it …?"
Tadashi's face darkened upon hearing his question, but he did not seem mad at Hiro at all. Unlike Obake, who often got mad at Hiro, Tadashi was still gentle with him despite the obvious anger shown on his face.
"Do you remember anything at all?" he asked softly. "Anything from before Obake?"
Hiro nodded and told Tadashi about the few memories that had come back. He told him that he could remember him teaching him about robotics and showing him his school. He told Tadashi about the time he dreamed about building a snow-machine with him. As he told him about the dream he realized that it was kind of strange that he had a brother Obake never told him about. The more he said the darker the expression on Tadashi's face got and when Hiro eventually finished speaking about the few moments he could remember, Tadashi seemed furious.
"So there are no memories about our parents or Aunt Cass? Nothing about Baymax?"
Hiro shook his head at his brother's question and felt a slight sting in his heart. He felt like he was letting his brother down by not remembering. But Tadashi didn't seem to take it that way. His gaze was still gentle as he looked at Hiro.
"Hiro," he went on, "I want you to know that you are so loved, do you hear me? Mom and Dad would have never given you up, never. They loved you more than life itself … and so do I. Aunt Cass does, too. There are so, so many people who care for you and who love you." Hiro sobbed softly as he listened to the warm and comforting words of his older brother. Deep down he had always been a little doubtful of Obake's stories, but he had grown to just accept them. But still, somehow he could not truly believe that everything the man had told him had been a lie. "I want you to forget everything Obake has told you." Tadashi added and pulled Hiro back out of his thoughts. "He's been lying to you. Do you understand?"
"B-But …" Hiro hesitated, his heart beating uncomfortably in his chest. "I-I don't think everything was a lie … He's a good man and-"
"Hiro." Tadashi interrupted him immediately. His voice had gotten stricter. "Obake is not a good man. He took you from your home, took you from our aunt and from your friends. He made you forget everything about your life, took Baymax apart and injured your friends. He is not a good man and you need to get away from him as fast as possible."
"H-How do you know all this ...?" Hiro asked, tears dwelling in his eyes as he listened to Tadashi's words. "I don't even know any of this … how can you?"
Tadashi smiled a bit. His hand moved and gently wiped the tears from Hiro's cheeks. "You know I'm not really here, don't you?" he asked in a soft voice. "I'm only here in your imagination …"
"I-I know …" Hiro nodded and leaned into his brother's embrace when he pulled him closer. Tadashi gently leaned his forehead against Hiro's and held him close. Hiro couldn't help but to chuckle a bit when the tip of their noses touched. He couldn't remember ever being this close to someone, but he loved the feeling.
"You probably didn't notice until now," Tadashi went on, "but deep down you've always known that something was off, didn't you? Something always felt wrong. Your home with Obake, the way he treated you and how secretive he's been … the memory sparks and triggers … it was strange, right?" when Hiro just nodded Tadashi went on: "I'm your conscience telling you what's been going on … you just needed a stronger trigger to get to me, that's all … slowly but surely you will remember … I know you will."
"W-What if I don't want to …?" Hiro questioned hesitantly. "I'm not sure I want to remember … at least not everything ..."
In his mind Hiro imagined flames that engulfed an entire building and the slender frame of his brother disappearing between the dancing lights. He knew now that he had lost his brother but could not yet remember how he had felt watching Tadashi leave him behind like this. He was so scared that he wouldn't be able to handle the pain.
As if he had his mind Tadashi told him: "Pain is a part of remembering, Hiro. Not all memories make us happy." His hand rested in Hiro's neck and gently rubbed his skin to calm him as he cried. "I know it's hard and it probably will be hard for a while … but there is no shortcut to healing and to getting closure. But I know you can do it. You're the toughest, most rebellious and stubborn kid I've ever known. It used to drive me so crazy that I could never change your mind once it was made up … but now I know it will help you become your old self again."
Hiro's eyes were fixed to his brother's as he spoke. What he told him made sense, but it was all so confusing and felt like it was too much. How could he just accept all of this?
"I don't know what to do next …" Hiro whispered after a long silence had spread between the two of them. Their eyes met as Hiro waited for a response from his brother. He wanted him to give him the answer, to tell him how to recover and how to get better. Why could it never be as easy as that?
"I don't know either." Tadashi said and smiled a bit when Hiro pouted. "But there is something I can tell you that'll help."
"And what's that?"
"If you don't know what to do next or if you're ever lost," his brother slowly broke away and just knelt in front of him, "just remember that you should do what's right. Just do the next right thing and it'll be okay … one step at a time."
"One step … at a time." Hiro repeated quietly and glanced back at the bridge behind him. He had been unable to cross it for so many nights, hadn't been able to even set one foot on it. But now that he realized who the voice belonged to and who was actually telling the truth the bridge had let him cross. Maybe simply remembering was the next step he had to take. And maybe that would be enough.
"Thanks, Tadashi …" Hiro looked back up at his brother and smiled softly. "I'll try … to do the next right thing …"
"I know you can do it." Tadashi encouraged. "You're going to be just fine. You have great friends to look after you."
Hiro smiled again and took a deep breath. He could feel the world around him shifting and the link to Tadashi getting weaker. Everything was fading. Tadashi's skin was getting paler as the mist returned.
"W-What if I need to talk to you again?" Hiro asked and tried to hold onto his brother's hand but slipped right through. "What if I can't find my way?"
"You'll be fine, Hiro." Tadashi reassured him again. "If you ever need to talk, I'll always be with you. There is no need to be scared or worried. Just listen deep inside and you'll find me right here." His brother placed his flurrying hand on Hiro's chest, right where his heart was and Hiro couldn't help but feel stronger. Knowing that his brother believed in him made him feel so much better and like he really was ready to take on whatever was going to come his way. And it was a good thing that he was. Before he fully realized what was going on the world around him had faded to black and had left him with Tadashi only. Despite the smile on his brother's face he seemed a bit worried about letting Hiro go back. And yet, both of them could feel the real-world pulling him back towards it.
"I …" Hiro let out a heavy sigh and met Tadashi's eyes. "I-I have to wake up, I think …"
Tadashi smiled and nodded. He seemed just as reluctant as Hiro felt to let him go back. They both knew that there was danger waiting once Hiro opened his eyes. But when there were noises outside just growing louder and louder Tadashi quickly said: "Just remember that I am so, so proud of you, okay? No matter what happens or what you decide to do. You'll always be my little brother."
"Y-Yeah." Hiro nodded and looked straight into his brother's eyes. "I'll remember … thank you, Tadashi."
And with that said Hiro closed his eyes and let go of the image of Tadashi in his mind. The emptiness around him shifted once more and Hiro could feel himself being pulled through the space around him. Slowly all the pain that had disappeared in his dream returned. Hiro felt his temple burn in pain, his ankle pulsating and scraped knee throbbing. The pain grew stronger and stronger with each second that passed until it reached the same level it had before. Feeling it all at once made Hiro nauseous and he held onto his head to try and ground himself. His heart was beating quicker with each breath he took and he could feel his body shaking as he cowered on the ground.
It took him a few moments to fully regain his consciousness, but when he did he found himself back in front of Obake. The man didn't seem to notice that Hiro had regained his consciousness and so Hiro took the chance to first get a glimpse of what was going on around him.
He glanced over and saw the strangers – no, his friends – still on the ground where the explosion had blasted them too. The woman in the yellow suit was still covered by debris but was working on trying to get out. Hiro saw the taller woman with blonde hair on the ground, but she seemed to be regaining her consciousness slowly. The guy in the green suit was being threatened by Trina and there was still no sign of Fred.
Hiro gasped when he realized that Trina was pointing the rifle right at the guy in the green suit. He remembered how Obake had ordered her to 'take care of him' right before he had passed out. Not much time seemed to have passed between his encounter with Tadashi and now, he thought.
Before Obake noticed that he had gotten back to his senses Hiro jumped to his feet and ran as fast as he could. His ankle almost gave up when he suddenly put all his body weight onto it, but despite stumbling he continued onhis way. Behind him he heard Obake shout for him to stop, but he didn't listen. He had to do whatever it took to stop Obake and to help his friends.
And so he jumped in between Trina and the guy on the ground. He immediately heard Obake to shout at Trina to not shoot. She froze and stared at Hiro in surprise, he could feel all eyes on him.
"D-Don't hurt them." Hiro said shakily, his voice hoarse. He was panting and barely able to catch his breath, everything hurt so badly that he was surprised he could still stand. When Trina didn't lower her weapon he repeated: "D-Don't."
"What are you doing!?" Obake roared and approached them. His expression was furious as he stared down at Hiro. Despite the mad look in his eyes and the gun in his hand Hiro was not frightened, not anymore. He stood his ground to protect his friend.
"Don't hurt them." Hiro repeated once more and glared at the man. "Y-You're not going to touch them."
"Stop this nonsense." Obake ordered him, but Hiro didn't react. "I said stop!" Obake shouted and seemed to only grow angrier with each passing second. His face was so distorted in anger that Hiro barely recognized the man. He was no longer the calm and collected teacher that he had been to him before. He seemed mad and crazy.
But as Hiro stood his ground and tried his best not to give into the growing pain in his ankle he soon noticed Fred appearing in the background emerging from the woods. His heart skipped a beat as he watched his friend. He had been worried that his friend might not have survived the blast of the explosion. No-one except them seemed to notice Fred as he slowly crept closer to them. Hiro figured he was going to try and take Obake by surprise while he and his robot children were distracted.
"Get out of the way, Hiro." Obake growled and pulled Hiro back out of his thoughts. He blinked and stared back up at the man in front of him, his heart hammering in his chest. Obake approached him and passed Trina until they were standing right in front of each other. "This is none of your concern. These people are dangerous. They-"
"They're my friends. "Hiro cut off Obake's attempted lie. He felt so angry towards Obake that he could barely control himself. Although he still could not fully accept that everything he had been told was a lie, he knew for sure that these people were no strangers and no threat. They had been Tadashi's friends and they were his friends, too. There was no way he going to be lied to any further.
"I-I know you've been lying to me … all this time." Hiro said with tears once again dwelling in his eyes. "Y-You told me my parents abandoned me … but t-they didn't. A-And neither did my brother." Obake looked at Hiro with a cold expression in his eyes and didn't respond. And so Hiro went on: "I-I know that you took me from my home … from my family. I know that y-you made me forget. I-I know everything …! And there's no way I'm ever going to let you do this to me again!" Hiro cried the last few words, unable to control his emotions. He felt so betrayed by the man in front of him that it was getting harder and harder for him to control himself. He thought that Obake would defend himself, thought that the man was going to try and convince him again that Hiro had been told lies and that he was telling the truth. But instead, Obake sighed and looked down at the gun in his hand.
"So the memory wipe wasn't strong enough, like I had hoped." He said with a low chuckle escaping him. "Oh well. It doesn't matter. Nothing matters." When he cocked the gun in his hand Hiro froze, unsure of what was coming next. Behind Obake he could see Fred getting closer. "After the overdose I thought you'd have forgotten more than enough. I thought it would have blocked your memories not to ever let you remember. I thought the memory sparks were a thing of the past. But I was wrong. Now I realize," when Fred suddenly charged at the man, Obake turned around, "there are far too many triggers left in this world."
Neither Hiro nor anyone else would have been quick enough to stop what had happened. Time seemed to stop when Obake pulled the trigger. Everything happened in slow motion. Hiro had frozen in place as he watched the bullet hit his friend in the stomach. Fred hit the ground with a gasp and didn't get back up. Hiro had to watch as blood started oozing out of the suit and into the earth beneath him. The earth was being soaked, even the grass turned a dark red color.
Hiro stood there in shock as he watched his friend lay in the dirt, unconscious and not moving. The guy in green and the woman in yellow rushed by Hiro towards Fred and tried to help. But Hiro couldn't. His entire body was frozen, his mind blank and heart hammering in his chest.
How could this have happened, he thought to himself, unable to comprehend what was going on. He just stood there and watched the blood dripping out of the suit, watched as the other two tried their best to get Fred back. The reality of what had happened reached him so slowly that it felt like an eternity had passed. He must have stood there for minutes before he finally realized what was going on.
His friend was dying. He had been shot. If they couldn't get him help as soon as possible … Fred was going to die.
It was then that the shock overcame Hiro and he couldn't hold himself back any longer. His entire body started shaking and the nausea came back. Everything around him had started to spin again.
Fred was going to die, a voice inside of him said. He really was going to die. And there was nothing he do about it. The emotions were getting too strong to bear and Hiro eventually couldn't stop himself from crying out loud. He needed help, he needed someone to tell him what to do now.
He didn't know what the next right thing was.
*
