Ah boy so this chapter is sorta... by the books. Not that that's a bad thing, I had a lot of fun with it, but it does stride a little too close to what the game does for my liking. But that's mostly because the chapter that comes after it is where things really start to go off the rails so I figured I'd go ahead and make this one relatively more lighthearted and fun before things get real. So with that in mind, enjoy!
Chapter 19: The Streets of San Fransokyo
They say we are what we are
But we don't have to be
I'm bad behavior but I do it in the best way
I'll be the watcher (watcher) of the eternal flame
I'll be the guard dog of all your favorite dreams
The next world that Sora, Donald, and Goofy's quest for the Keys takes them to is a far cry from the one they just left. For instead of the vast, open, endless depths of the Great Ocean, what lay before them now is a dense, yet massive cityscape. Its sharp, futuristic skyline glistens in the late afternoon sun, even from as far away as the vantage point the trio finds themselves at upon their arrival. Said vantage point is a picturesque bridge, built strong and sturdy as its distinctive crimson supports tower high above the wide road stretching across it, a road strewn with traffic that is, for some odd reason, in a complete standstill. Yet the odd lack of moving vehicles, much less their drivers, goes largely unnoticed by the trio as they venture out onto the open bridge, with Sora in particular quite impressed by the cutting-edge the city, even from a distance.
"Cool!" he exclaims, running ahead of his companions to get a better look. "And I thought that last world was amazing; but this place is incredible!"
"C'mon, Sora," Donald says evenly as he and Goofy continue onward even as Sora continues meandering about. "We need to start looking for that Key."
"Aw, but I wanna take a look at the big city!" Sora protests. After all, a world like this can't be so easily passed by, especially since cities as stunning and sweeping as this one, tend to be few and far between in their adventures.
"Yeah, it does seem pretty exciting," Goofy says with a small, amused chuckle.
"I feel so metropolitan!" Sora finally comes to stop behind the magician and the captain. "Um, cosmopolitan?"
"Non-apolitan!" Donald snaps, annoyed. "We're not here to sightsee! You said so yourself: we have a lot of work to do. So let's get to it already!"
"Uh huh, right, work, got it," Sora says rather absently as he pulls his Gummiphone out and starts tapping away at it.
"Now what?" the magician asks with a dry scowl.
"I gotta tell Riku what a blast this place is!" Sora smiles, hopeful. Ideally, the purpose of such a call will be twofold; to not just detail their latest destination, but to make amends with Riku for the rather harsh, callous note he'd left their last call on. A note that he's been meaning to apologize for for quite some time now really.
"But we just got here," Goofy points out. "And we haven't done anything yet."
"And, if you think Riku's not busy enough to take time to listen to you go on about the city," Donald adds pointedly, offering Sora a critical glare. "Then I guess he also has time to hear all about the cracks on your Keyblade."
"Oh! And your scar!" Goofy agrees with a solid nod. "We oughta tell him and the king about that too, right?"
Sora freezes at this, his hand instantly flying away from his phone just shy of him dialing Riku up. "Um, n-no," he shakes his head, quickly putting the Gummiphone away. "Riku and the king are busy looking for Aqua, and even though it would be really great if we could call them and tell them about, uh… that, we can't. Because they're busy. And so are we."
"So you keep saying…" Donald grumbles, unsatisfied.
Before either the magician or the captain can push their argument any further, however, a stark, sudden explosion rattles the entire bridge, nearly knocking the trio off balance entirely. The source of that explosion is almost immediately made clear as a group of dark, winged creatures rise from the resounding blast.
"Heartless!" the trio shout, summoning their weapons and wasting no time in rushing forward to combat the familiar threat. Yet their approach is almost immediately stopped as they narrowly manage to dodge something, or rather someone flung their way by the rampaging horde of Heartless.
That someone appears to be a young woman, though her bright yellow body armor and matching helmet conceals much of her appearance. She hits the ground hard a good ways behind the startled trio, wheel-like metallic disks flying off her suit as she skids to a stop. And though the trio doesn't hesitate to move to help her, they're ultimately beaten to it by the arrival of another pair entirely.
"Go Go! You okay?!"
Caught off guard by this concerned call, the trio finds that it comes from above. More specifically, from a boy, clad in a similar suit to the young woman's, albeit in purple instead, perched onto the back of a much larger, sturdier figure, decked out in winged red armor as it somehow flies all its own. The pair races in fast high above the trio as they watch them in amazement while they touch down before their injured friend, hurrying to check over her listless form.
"Go Go!" the boy calls again, hoping to get some response from her, though he ultimately doesn't, much to his growing worry. "Baymax!" he turns to his taller robotic companion, who calmly proceeds to conduct an instant full-body scan.
"Go Go's suit has shielded her from a major injury," the robot reports. "But the blow she sustained to her head has caused a mild concussion. We should take caution and not move her until we can fully stabilize her head."
"Got it," the boy nods, allayed that his friend isn't too severely harmed.
"Oh, cool!" Sora eagerly rushes forward to meet the pair as Donald and Goofy follow not too far behind. "That's a robot!"
"Hello, I am Baymax," the robot, or Baymax rather, greets with an amicable wave. "Your personal healthcare companion."
"Whoa…" Sora grins, starstruck by the impressive armored bot. "This rules!"
"Uh, Sora?" Goofy speaks up. "Remember our other problem?"
"The Heartless?" Donald reminds much more impatiently.
"Oh yeah," Sora takes a glance over his shoulder at the still-swarming Heartless on the far side of the bridge. "Almost forgot about them. But can you blame me? This is a real, actual robot we're talking about here!"
"Yes, I am real," Baymax says obliviously.
"Glad you like him," the boy smirks, amused. "But… who are you guys, exactly?"
"I'm Sora!"
"Donald!"
"And I'm Goofy!"
And with this swift introduction out of the way, the trio rushes off to take the impending threat of the Heartless head-on. Upon watching their confident bravado, the boy readily perks up as he looks to his robot companion with a resolved smile, glad to have some much-needed assistance in taking care of this unknown danger. "Name's Hiro," he readily introduces himself as he runs forward to join them. "You… mind helping us fight those guys? Our team's called Big Hero 6. There's usually a few more of us, but… we're spread out a little thin right now dealing with these things all over San Fransokyo. So we could definitely use all the help we could get out here."
"Of course," Sora agrees without a second thought. "We'd be happy to help."
"Someone has to," Hiro grins warmly as he hops onto Baymax's back once again. "Let's go, Baymax!" he points forward, prompting the robot to blast ahead using his rocket thrusters.
As a result, Baymax meets the Heartless in battle first, beating the trio by just a few seconds. As the robot doles out close-quarters physical attacks, the trio likewise gets to work, Donald shooting off spells as Goofy launches his shield into the throng of mechanically-themed Heartless. At the same time, Sora charges through the creatures, doing his best to ignore the cracks in his Keyblade as he cuts through the weaker monsters first. With the entire group fighting together in full force, it doesn't take long for them all to fall in a steady rhythm with each other, taking down Heartless left and right as they work their way down the length of the bridge. However, as the monsters start to go down in numbers, an all new, much larger threat soon makes itself apparent as it thunders down the road, brutishly tossing aside any vehicle in its path. This massive Heartless easily hoists another unoccupied car into the air, throwing it directly at Sora, Donald, and Goofy. The attack comes so quickly that the trio doesn't have much of a chance to even react to it, much less dodge it. But fortunately for them, Baymax comes to their rescue just in time.
The robot catches the vehicle, hardly even bothered by its immense weight as he holds it up solidly, allowing the trio a brief sigh of shared relief behind him. "Yeah!" Sora cheers, impressed. "Nice catch!"
"Thanks for the save!" Donald adds, grateful.
"You are welcome," Baymax says, glancing back at the trio as he gently places the car on the ground. "You may reduce the risk of injury by seeking cover."
"I don't think there's a whole lotta time for that!" Goofy exclaims, his shield raised as the large Heartless comes in for another attack.
The creature lumbers forward, supported by several of its smaller kin as it raises its ax-like blade to attack. This time however, the trio meets its swing, blocking it with all three of their weapons at once, giving Hiro the perfect chance to guide Baymax's next move. "Hit him from the side, Baymax!" he shouts, steadying his grip on the robot's back as they quickly flew high above the action. "Hurry!" Baymax does just that, deftly diving back down as the trio begins to waver against the Heartless's immense strength. And as distracted by them as it is, it doesn't even notice the detached rocket-powered fist until it strikes it hard on the side, sending it crashing over onto the far side of the bridge. The rocket fist swiftly flies right back over to Baymax as he hovers nearby with Hiro in tow, the detached appendage easily slipping right back onto the robot's hand as the pair gear up to join the trio in whatever comes next.
Of course, even despite the heavy damage it sustained, the Heartless isn't ready to call it quits quite yet. With an angry roar, the creature rights itself, swiveling around to face its foes once more. However, as it does, what it doesn't expect was for all five of them to rush it at once, weapons drawn and attacks advancing to the point that it leaves the Heartless with no time to defend itself. Baymax slams into the creature first at full-force, pushing it back towards the edge of the bridge, but a coordinated attack between the trio is what ultimately ends up finishing the monster off entirely. A powerful wind spell from Donald and a well-timed shield toss from Goofy, paired with a sharp, succinct strike from Sora's Keyblade all succeed in not only knocking the Heartless back once more, but this time, over the edge of the bridge entirely. Unable to remain steady, the creature topples over the guard railing, falling hard and fast until it finally splashes into the waters of the bay down below, defeated.
From there, clearing out the remaining Heartless is quick and easy work for the collective group. Though the creatures leave a bit of damage in their wake, nobody's been apparently harmed in the attack, something that Hiro and Baymax make sure of through a quick sweeping flyover across the bridge. Once it's over, they come back in to reconvene with the trio, all of them glad to finally have a much-needed peaceful moment for proper introductions.
"Thanks for your help," Hiro says, hopping off Baymax just as the robot comes to land. "You guys really had some great moves out there."
"So did you two!" Sora grins enthusiastically. "That whole flying fist thing was awesome!"
"Heh, yeah, rocket fists," Hiro says with something of a proud smile as he looks to his robot companion. "Designed 'em myself. Same with the rest of the team's armor. Oh! Speaking of which, they're definitely gonna wanna meet you guys. C'mon!"
"Sure!" Sora eagerly agrees. However, he does stop short upon hearing Donald pointedly clear his throat behind him.
"Sora…" the magician groans, tapping his foot impatiently.
"Didn't ya say we were 'busy'?" Goofy asks with a small, knowing smirk.
"Oh yeah!" Sora exclaims before turning back to Hiro. "Er-sorry. We're actually here to look for something. It's a Key, looks like this," Sora calls upon the latest Key they claimed, its shimmering, otherworldly appearance instantly catching Hiro off guard. "Either of you guys know where we might be able to find something like it around here?"
"Whoa…" Hiro muses, looking over the Key in apt fascination. "Well, I've never seen tech like that before…"
"Tech?" Sora frowns, confused. "You mean computers and stuff? Uh… I don't think the Keys are anything like that. They're more like… um… do we wanna say magic?" he glances over his shoulder at his companions, uncertain.
"You just did," Donald deadpans, unamused.
"Magic?" Hiro asks, raising a skeptical eyebrow. Even so, he doesn't make any further comment on such a seemingly odd claim as he turns to Baymax for answers instead. "What do you say, buddy? Can you make any sense of this 'Key' business?"
Baymax looks to Hiro inquisitively for a moment before offering the trio his sparse report. "My scanners are unable to identify anything with an energy signature similar to your 'Key' in the immediate vicinity."
The trio lets out a shared disappointed sigh at this, but even so, Sora is quick to perk back up from it. "Ah well. It's not like it took us just a matter of minutes to find the first three either, right?"
"It sure didn't," Goofy agrees. "Guess we oughta be getting used to this routine by now, huh?"
"Even if it's a routine that always takes too long thanks to somebody getting sidetracked all the time…" Donald grumbles, sending Sora a critical glance.
"Who? Me?" he asks in faux offense. "Oh, c'mon, I never get sidetracked. Anyway, everybody get in close," Sora grins as he pulls the Gummiphone out once again. "With those Heartless out of the way, now's the perfect chance to finally snap a photo of the city!"
"Speakin' of sidetracked," Goofy chuckles as Donald simply crosses his arms, annoyed by Sora's usual antics.
"Hm… you know…" Hiro speaks up thoughtfully. "Since you guys helped us fight off those monsters, maybe we could help you find that Key in return."
"Really?" Sora asks brightly.
"Yeah, it's the least we can do," Hiro nods with a smile. "I don't know if I buy the whole 'magic' thing, but I'm sure if we can figure something out. Don't wanna brag or anything, but me and the rest of the team do sort of have something of a reputation for being geniuses. Plus, Baymax is pretty handy too."
"Yes, I have two hands," Baymax says, raising both of them up to show the group.
"That's… just an expression, Baymax," Hiro laughs, patting his robot's arm as he begins to lead the way down the bridge. "Now, come on!" he calls to the trio, who this time, are all quick to follow suit. Especially in the hopes that the more helping hands they have in searching for the Key, the quicker and most importantly easier a time they'll have finding it. "The rest of the team is waiting."
Though a team name such as Big Hero 6 certainly carries an air of epic importance to it, ironically enough, their base of operations is merely a humble garage connected to a quaint cafe owned by Hiro's aunt. Still, it's sizable enough to fit everyone comfortably inside of it, from the trio, to Hiro and Baymax, to the other four members of the team. When the former arrive, they find those members crowded around the computer in the corner, reading a newly-posted article on the most recent attack to hit the city. An article that doesn't exactly paint the team of young heroes in the best light as it points out their inability to clear the Heartless out of the city as a whole.
"Not cool," Go Go huffs with a sour scowl, having fully recovered from her previous injuries.
"People like spectacle," the other female of the group, a tall, blonde girl clad in bright pink armor, shakes her head. "Not the truth."
"Yeah, who needs quality reporting when you can just make stuff up?" another member of the team, a steadily built young man in similar green armor, says sullenly.
"I don't get it!" the most peculiar addition to the group, who apparently seemed to be some sort of three-eyed lizard creature, pipes up. "I mean, didn't they see how awesome we were!? Sure, those things landed a couple of good hits, but we had chem-balls, laser hands, and fire-breathing!"
"Well, it didn't really matter," the taller girl says with a small, disappointed sigh. "They still beat us."
"Where'd they come from anyway?" Go Go asks, hands on her hips.
"Well, why don't we ask the guys who actually stopped 'em?" the green-clad young man points out, glancing over at the trio standing nearby.
"That's right," the taller girl offers the trio a friendly smile. "You never introduced us, Hiro."
"Oh yeah," Hiro perks up, going over to stand with the rest of his team. "Well, uh, this… is the gang! That's Go Go," he begins, going down the line of his friends. For her part, Go Go simply offers the trio a rather dry, stoic nod of greeting, a far cry from the much more amicable smile the next team member sends them. "He's Wasabi-"
"How ya doin'?" Wasabi waves coolly as Hiro continues.
"That's Honey Lemon-"
"Hello there!" she greets with a bright, chipper smile.
"And-" Hiro stops short just shy of introducing the last member of the group, who steps forward to do so himself.
Needless to say the "monster" catches the trio quite off guard, startling them as boldly leaps forward to say hello. "I'm Fred. Do not be alarmed!" he proclaims zealously as he tosses the top of his costume up to reveal the smoothly grinning young man underneath. "This is not my real body."
From there, Hiro takes over again in introducing the trio to his team. "These three are Sora, Donald, and Goofy, the, uh…" he trails off, unsure of how to refer to them collectively. Sora, however, is quick to fill in with a newfound team name off the cuff, one that's more than a little inspired by Big Hero 6 themselves.
"Keyblade Hero 3!" he exclaims boldly, striking a brazen heroic pose. Donald and Goofy have no choice but to join him, largely caught up in the same excitable spirit as their young companion was. Even if their bravado is rather lost on the other team of heroes who look to them blankly all the while.
"I am detecting minute contractions in your faces and shoulders," Baymax finally breaks the awkward silence as he looks over his teammates. "Perhaps due to the garage's brisk temperature. To remedy that, I will give each of you a hug and warm you with my internal heat source."
"Er, you… really don't have to do that, Bayma-"
Hiro quickly cuts himself off as his teammates all rush forward, piling up on the robot as to enjoy the aura of comforting warmth he puts off. "Sorry, Hiro," Honey Lemon chuckles as she and Go Go lean up against the huggable bot. "But Baymax's hugs are hard to turn down."
"Yeah, especially after the beating we just took from those creatures," Wasabi adds with a contented sigh.
"It's like a mini-ray of sunshine healing my broken soul!" Fred cries overdramatically.
"What?" Go Go asks, looking over at him incredulously.
"Uh, I'm talking about a heroic second-wind here," Fred says as though it was obvious. "Duh."
"Oh, I'll show you a second wind..." Go Go scowls, already cracking her knuckles. Thankfully Honey Lemon stops her just in time, much to Fred's immense relief.
At the same time, the trio remains on the sidelines to convene amongst themselves. Or, more accurately, for Donald to scold Sora over his rather blatant, though somewhat usual, disregard of the world order. "Why did you call us that?!" the magician huffs, far from fond of the team name he had come up with.
"Sora, you know Donald and I don't have Keyblades," Goofy points out a with a confused frown.
"So? We are heroes, right?" Sora counters defensively.
"Not here, we're not!" the magician snapped, annoyed.
This argument is quick to die out however as the members of Big Hero 6 turn their collective attention back over to their trio of guests. "The monsters," Go Go speaks up, her tone serious as she sizes the three of them up. "Tell us how you managed to take them down."
"Well, they're called the Heartless," Sora explains, making sure to be mindful of maintaining order this time around. Even if it's only to keep Donald's temper from flaring back up again. "And they're drawn to the darkness inside of people's hearts."
"Ooh! Now we're talkin'!" Fred exclaims excitedly. "Light vs. darkness! Classic conflict!"
"Would you calm down, Fred?" Wasabi huffs , irritated. "This isn't something out of one of your comics or video games. This is serious."
"Very serious," Honey Lemon solemnly agrees. "They're putting the entire city in danger and we don't have any way to fight them."
"Wait, so we're just gonna give up?" Go Go asks, clearly not keen on the idea based on her bitter expression alone.
"With our current skill set," Baymax speaks up. "My analysis places our chances of success at 0.0000-"
"Yeah, we get it, Baymax," Hiro interrupts these rather grim odds with a disappointed frown.
"Hey, don't sweat it," Sora encourages the dejected group. "The three of us can go take care of the Heartless for you. Right, you guys?" Both Donald and Goofy readily nod, still set on their current objective of finding the next Key as much as Sora is. However, if this world is indeed under the palpable threat of attacking Heartless, then for the sake of the countless innocents residing within it, as well as their new friends, that objective will just have to wait.
And yet, even despite the trio's kind willingness to help where they can't, Hiro isn't quite ready to accept his team's defeat just yet. "Wait," he speaks up, resolved. "We're going too."
"It's ok," Donald reassures as Goofy nods in agreement. "We've got it."
"We've got plenty of experience takin' care of Heartless, after all," the captain adds confidently. "No need to worry 'bout us!"
"That's… not it," Hiro shakes his head. "We have to help. My brother would have." This brave sentiment is one that all of the other members of Big Hero 6 wholeheartedly share, each of them determined to do their part, even despite the obvious danger. "Not to mention," Hiro continues with a smile as he steps forward. "We did volunteer to help you guys look for that Key of yours, and… we can't really do that hanging back here, can we?"
"You volunteered us for what now?" Wasabi asks, confused.
"Sora, Donald, and Goofy are searching for a magical Key," Baymax informed factually.
"Ah ah ah," Hiro whispers to his robotic companion, still somewhat skeptical. "Supposedly magical."
"A supposedly magical Key."
"Ohoho! An epic battle of good against evil along with a magical macguffin hunt?!" Fred bounces up and down excitedly. "This just keeps getting better and better!"
"Well, we're definitely happy to help you find this… um, Key, in any way we can," Honey Lemon concurs warmly, even if she's still a bit out of the loop along with the others.
"Thanks, you guys," Sora grins, glad to have so much help this time around. Help that'll not only go a long way toward finding a way to gain this world's Key, but ward off any Heartless, or worse yet, any possible Organization members who might try to obtain it first.
"Glad we're all on the same page, buuuut…. Don't we need a plan?" Wasabi says with a concerned frown. "We can't just go out there looking for some Key with all those monsters we, again, can't even fight running around all over the place. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm not too crazy about the idea of getting tossed around by those guys again."
"So we'll train up!" Fred suggests, throwing his monstrous mask back on. "When heroes are brought low, they get new powers. And those powers are what always leads to the ultimate victory in the third and final act! Which means… it's shugyo time!"
"What, did you read that in Geek's Quarterly?" Go Go deadpans, rolling her eyes.
"Fred's actually not wrong," Hiro says as he turns back toward the trio. "I may have an idea…"
Despite this newfound idea, Hiro doesn't exactly go into too much detail about it as he instead gets to work, logging onto his computer to craft out a new design. To give him ample time and space to focus on his inventing, the trio and the members of Big Hero 6 take to chatting amongst each other instead, both sides getting to know each other better in the process.
"So, you guys have already got three of these Key things, huh?" Wasabi asks as Sora cycles through the small collection they've gathered so far. "Then what's the rush to find one more?"
"Well, actually, there's 13 of them," Sora says, letting the most recently-found Key disappear. "And, um… why we're looking for them is… kind of a long story. Let's just say it's really important that we find them all, and fast."
"Ooooh! Lemme guess!" Fred cuts in eagerly. "The fate of the world as we know it depends on you guys getting all thirteen before some dastardly villain can, right? Riiiiight?"
"Gee, that's… pretty much it," Goofy says with a small chuckle.
"So where do you find these things anyway?" Go Go asks, dryly curious. "Can't imagine they'd just be lying around anywhere."
"Uh… w-we've… found them in all sorts of places," Sora ventures, making note of the sharp, warning glance Donald sends his way. "But they only show up whenever really strong emotions are being felt."
"Emotions?" Honey Lemon inquires, intrigued. "Like what?"
"Well, the first one was friendship," Sora lists. "Pretty sure the second one was fear? And the one we just got a while ago was… I dunno, compassion, I think? Still, we really have no idea what could make it appear this time around…"
"An emotionally-driven mystery," Fred nods in understanding. "One that'll no-doubt lead to an action-packed adventure filled with peaks and valleys of crushing failures, blazing victories, and really deep self-discovery. That's a classic hero's journey right there. And I'm totally here for it, this kind of stuff is my jam!"
"Again, Fred," Wasabi deadpans. "This. Isn't. A. Comic Book! Or a video game! Or one of those cinematic universes you're always going on about."
"Pfft, says you."
"Emotions are biological, instinctive states of mind," Baymax offers his advice to the trio. "They are often derived from one's circumstances or relationships with others and they serve to influence behavior or decision-making. Since emotions have a strong impact on overall health and wellbeing, I am programmed to detect the chemical reactions that create them. That way, I can take the emotional state of my patients into account to provide them with the best medical treatment possible."
Though he doesn't fully understand all of the odds and ends of this intricate explanation, Sora can't help but smirk upon hearing it all the same. "You make them sound so… sciencey," he says with a small, good-natured laugh. "But I think emotions are a lot simpler than that. They're just… whatever your heart is feeling, you know?"
"That is technically untrue," Baymax corrects obviously. "Emotions are actually processed in the temporal lobe of the brian."
By now, Sora is all but completely lost as he looks to the other members of Big Hero 6, all of whom know well just how amusingly literal Baymax can be. "Uh… anyone wanna help me out here?"
Before any of the others can do so, however, Hiro interjects, joining the group once more to present the product of his idea, or rather his latest invention to them all. "It's done!" he grins, holding up the piece of tech he's devised: a simple, yet sharply-designed visor-looking device. A device that he hands off to, of all people, Sora.
Given that he's never been particularly well-versed in anything highly technological, Sora isn't sure what to make of the device as he carefully takes it, looking over it until he finds a small inscription on the side labeling exactly what it is. "'AR device'?" he reads, completely unfamiliar with the term.
"Yeah," Hiro nods, clearly proud of his work. "Pretty cool, huh? It creates a CG overlay that augments your vision. While you wear it, this device sees everything you do and logs it."
"Uh… huh," Sora nods, pretending to know what any of that means.
Fortunately, Hiro seems to pick up on his oblivious manner as he offers a much simpler explanation instead. "You… put it on your face."
"Ohhh…" Understanding this time around, Sora slides the visor over his eyes, though as soon as he does, he's met with a disconcerting sight. "Heartless!" he gasps, his Keyblade flashing into his grip as he quickly moves to protectively stand between the singular shadow and the others. "Donald! Goofy!" he calls to his companions, who both simply offer him an absolutely bewildered glance, not understanding his sudden alarm. "C'mon! We've gotta-"
"Sora," Donald interjects with a worried frown. "Are you ok?"
"There's no Heartless here," Goofy assures, just as concerned.
"W-what?" Sora looks between the pair incredulously. "But… how do you not see it? It's right there!"
"Whoa!" Hiro exclaims just as Sora starts to raise his weapon to attack the creature. "Sora, chill. Just take the AR device off."
Bewildered, Sora does so, only for the Heartless he'd seen to inexplicably disappear entirely. Taken aback, he lowers the visor once more and sure enough, there the shadow is, at least until he lifts the AR device once again. "Wow…" he muses, fascinated as he tests the device out a few more times. "I have no idea how you're doing this, but it's so cool!"
"Thanks," Hiro says with a humble grin. "But so far, the map data only covers San Fransokyo. I need to expand it."
"Ok, ok, cool, AR device, yeah, awesome," Fred speaks up somewhat impatiently. "Now can we shugyo?!"
"Not yet, Fred," Wasabi counters, shaking his head. "He's still learning."
"Fortunately, we've done training just like this before," Honey Lemon says with an upbeat smile. "Sora, all you'll need to do is run through some courses Hiro scripted. Like a fun little minigame!"
"We'll put a tracer on your movements," Go Go begins, familiar with the process as well. "So we can-"
"Shugyo! Shugyo! Shugyo!" Fred cheers, barely able to contain his growing excitement as he hops around the garage.
"Ugh… so we can shugyo…" Go Go grumbles, rolling her eyes.
"I guess shugyo's like training," Goofy whispers to Donald, aside. "That's a good idea. We could probably use the practice."
"Speak for yourself," the magician hufs, crossing his arms.
"So… let me get this straight: you guys wanna 'trace' how we fight?" Sora asks, genuinely intrigued by the concept, even if he doesn't fully understand how it worked. "Why?"
"Well, as far as I can tell, you guys are the only ones who are able to actually beat those 'Heartless' monsters," Hiro explains. "Plus, from what I've seen, you three have some pretty sick moves in a fight."
"Hiro did not mean that your combat abilities are physically ill," Baymax notes. "That was just an expression."
"Wow... " Sora grins, somewhat flattered. "Thanks! Then again, our moves always have been pretty impressive."
"Maybe our moves have," Donald counters, raising an eyebrow. "You've still got a lot of catching up to do, remember?"
"Ugh… don't remind me…" Sora sighs, knowing all too well that his strength still isn't exactly up to the level it should be. And yet, he still finds a bit of solace as he silently reminds himself of something that can certainly contribute to regaining that strength. Namely a newfound power, one that feels immense and exciting, that he's only barely begun to explore. And one that he still isn't quite ready to openly reveal just yet.
"I'm sure we'll still learn a lot by studying your skills," Hiro says, turning to his computer as the other members of the team open the garage door to head out. "Especially when it comes to dealing with those monsters. Now… you wanna hit the town to try it out?"
"Yes!" Fred eagerly shouts before anyone else could. "Shugyo time!"
"Fred, I swear," Wasabi scowls, following Fred out of the garage. "If you scream shugyo in my ear one more time, I… I don't know what I'll do, but it won't be pretty!"
"Cool it, both of you," Go Go pushes her way past both of the boys stoically. "We've got work to do."
"But nobody ever said that work can't be fun too!" Honey Lemon cheerily chimed in, running to join the others.
"I can also shugyo by installing new combat data," Baymax points out as Hiro helps him suit up. Of course, as out of the loop as they are with most of the robot's rather technical explanations, Sora, Donald, and Goofy exchange a confused glance as they also begin to leave, unsure of what he means.
"Don't worry," Hiro interjects with a small laugh as he waves them off. "This whole, uh, shugyo thing will make sense once you're actually out there doing it."
"Oh thank goodness," Sora sighs, allayed, though he still mutters to his companions as they walk out. "At least something will finally make sense around here. I'm still trying to figure out what in the world 'AR' means…"
By the time both collective teams set out for their shugyo, the cover of night rests over San Fransokyo. Still, that hardly means the city is any less bustling as cars continue down its busy streets and the town's many towering buildings stand brightly illuminated in their bold electric colors. After a quick, scoping flyover of the massive city, Baymax drops everyone off atop one of those tall buildings so they can properly begin their group training.
"Ok, guys," Hiro addresses everyone through the intercom system the entire team is linked to. "Let's keep this simple. Follow the course and take out any monsters you see along the way. I'll be here to help you out remotely from the garage. Good luck!"
"Right!" everyone agrees in resolved unison, none of them hesitating to set out and begin.
Since they're more familiar with the city and its layout, the members of Big Hero 6 lead the way, each of them using their own unique abilities to propel themselves off of that first rooftop onto the next. Sora, Donald, and Goofy aren't too far behind them, their weapons equally ready for the first sigh of potential trouble. And sure enough, it doesn't take long for that trouble to show up as Heartless, actual Heartless, not digital ones, soon begin to materialize along their path.
As ill-equipped as they are to fight such creatures, the members of Big Hero 6 hesitate when a horde of shadows blocks the next leg of the course. From his monitor back at the garage, Hiro spots them too, gearing his software up to accurately capture whatever might happen next. "Hey, Sora! Mind taking care of these guys for us?"
"Not a problem," Sora confidently replies, swinging his Keyblade to attack. Donald and Goofy boldly follow him, all three of them quickly working through the swath of shadows with relative ease. The members of Big Hero 6 stand by on their higher perches, watching the trio's moves with rapt fascination all the while. And as they emerge as the victors from this small skirmish, the trio sets off at the head of the group, the team of young heroes eagerly following them this time so they can see more.
"Yeah!" Fred cheers, springing over to the next building. "Now this is what I call a night patrol!"
"C-couldn't we do this on the ground?" Wasabi asks anxiously. He clings tightly onto Baymax tightly as the robot gives him, Honey Lemon, and Go Go a boost to the same perch.
"Oh, come on, Wasabi!" Honey Lemon chuckles. "This wouldn't be anywhere near as exciting on the ground, right, Go Go?"
"You got me," Go Go says, finally cracking a small grin.
"Um… where to next?" Sora asks, stopping short on the edge of a building, unsure of where to go from here.
"Straight ahead," Hiro instructs. "You guys are doing great!"
"Straight ahead?" Donald asks, dubiously glancing down at what awaits them below. "But that's…"
"A long way down…" Goofy finishes just as apprehensively.
"So?" Sora shrugs, unconcerned. "We've seen longer. Now, c'mon!" Without even skipping a beat, he takes the leap off of the roof, plunging freely to a lower building far below, much to the bewilderment of the majority of the group still watching from above.
"Whoa…" Wasabi says, somewhat alarmed. "I don't know if he's really brave-"
"Or just plain dumb," Go Go finishes, equally baffled.
"Both," Donald deadpans dryly.
"Falling from exceptional heights can often lead to physical injury," Baymax points out, poising his wings to perform a speedy rescue. And yet, it isn't needed as Sora somehow manages to land squarely on the large, decorative red ball fixed to the building below.
"Gawrsh, guess it doesn't for Sora," Goofy remarks, relieved.
However, Sora barely has a chance to steady himself after his landing before the ground starts to give way to him entirely. Or rather, as the orb he's standing on suddenly starts to tilt off of the building altogether. As it falls, he falls with it, a much shorter distance down to the street this time as he lands atop it once more, struggling to stay standing as it starts rolling forward on its own accord. It takes a moment, but eventually, not only does Sora properly manage to regain his balance, but he also gains control of the ball itself as he runs on top of it, doing his best to avoid causing any damage to the surrounding city in the process.
"Ok, I… didn't program this," Hiro remarks incredulously through his intercom. "But you can handle it. Just improvise."
"Improvise, got it!" Sora agrees. He finds a perfect opportunity to do just that as he spots a group of emerging Heartless just ahead. Taking advantage of the new 'weapon' at his disposal, he rolls the ball over to them, easily running through the crowd of creatures before they even have a chance to attack. The orb makes easy work of the Heartless, crushing and defeating them in droves until they're cleared out in a matter of minutes. And as soon as they are, Sora leaves the ball behind before getting back to following the course as outlined on his VR device.
However, he's far from the only one doing so, as a familiar face suddenly stakes swiftly past him as he runs down the road. "Glad you could finally join us on the ground," Go Go calls back to him, the slightest air of teasing in her tone. "Think you can keep up?"
"I can try," Sora replies with a wry grin as he summons his Keyblade once more. With his weapon in hand, he picks up his speed before lunging forward, passing Go Go as he latches the tip of his Keyblade onto a nearby streetlight. Working with his already immense momentum, he uses his weapon to swing around the post, launching himself upward toward the adjacent towering building. Go Go skips to a stop, admittedly impressed and perhaps even a bit dumbfounded as she watches Sora freerun up the side of that building, deftly knocking aside any Heartless that happen to show up in the process.
"Interesting…" she notes, wondering if, with the speed offered to her by her own megalev discs, she could do the same incredible feat. "Gravity not binding…"
At the same time, Sora continues steadily making his way up the building, though all the while, a persistent pack of Heartless continues pursuing him. For a moment, he ignores them, largely for the sake of making it to the top of the building, where Wasabi stands by, trying to tackle the Heartless swarming and having little luck in doing so. Still, he gets a front row seat to Sora taking another high leap, shooting off several successive fire spells at the winged Heartless bombarding him. The magic hits its marks squarely, defeating them and allowing him to move on as Wasabi reaches a newfound, pertinent realization.
"Hey, wait…" he grins down at his pair of plasma blades. "My laser hands… can be projectiles!" He lashes out with his newfound 'projectiles' to clear out the remaining Heartless on the rooftop, without much of a need for close-quarters combat at all.
Meanwhile, Honey Lemon takes up a perch on a nearby building, shying away out of sight from the Heartless horde invading it out of fear that her chem balls won't be enough to tackle them. That is, until she spots Sora rushing by just below her current vantage point. Largely forgetting about the ongoing simulation and any eyes that might be watching, he tosses his Keyblade forward at the Heartless, leaving himself seemingly defenseless, though only for the briefest of seconds. For as his weapon flies out of his grip, a familiar burst of darkness and light blooms around his now-free hand, magic that he doesn't hesitate to send flying right after his Keyblade. The contrasting power hits the Kingdom Key in a heavy burst, one that tears through the Heartless and clears them out almost instantly, allowing Sora to reclaim his weapon and continue onward with ease.
"Ooh!" Honey Lemon exclaims, amazed by what she'd just seen as she looks down to her own chem purse. "Change the weapon, change the attack!" Inspired by this newfound idea, she rushes off on her own, ready to put it into action.
Exhilarated by the strange, yet special magic swirling around both of his hands now, Sora makes sure to put it to good use as he encounters yet another round of Heartless. Initially, he evades them, dashing up to the top of yet another building to put some space between himself and the creatures. Then, after luring them in, he lets loose, launching wave after wave of light and darkness at them until they all inevitably fall away in defeat.
This barrage of contrasting energy isn't lost on Fred as he stands, witnessing it from his spot just a bit lower down on the building. "Whoahoh!" he grins, awestruck as he considers his own abilities. "Light and darkness… diametrically opposed, just like fire and ice… or so we thought!" Eager to put his daring plan to the test, Fred leaps away, hot on the search for the nearest Heartless he can try his new flaming cold (or rather, icy hot) attack on first.
With all of the Heartless in the immediate vicinity cleared out, Sora finally comes to a stop atop the final building highlighted in the AR course, finally giving himself a much-needed breather. It doesn't take long for Donald and Goofy to join him, though as soon as he spots them coming, Sora makes sure to shake his hands clear of any remaining traces of dark and light magic, as much as he wishes he didn't have to. After all, his new brand of magic, for as little as he really knows about it, is thrilling to use and rewarding to reap the results of. While it may appear to have a few traces of darkness mingled within the light it's composed of, its usefulness in a fray can't be denied. Still, he has a feeling that his companions would try to deny him of the very right to take advantage of that usefulness if they so much as knew about its existence.
"See? I told you guys," Sora flashes his companions a confident grin instead, hoping to bolster his own merits to both them and to himself. "My moves are still impressive."
"Well, ya sure have come a long way since Olympus," Goofy nods with a bright grin. "Right, Donald?"
"Mm, I guess…" Donald begrudgingly admits. Though it's clear from the small smile he tries to suppress that he's pleased with Sora's progress too. Progress that Sora can't help but be proud of considering how far he'd fallen in terms of strength before and just how long it's taken him to climb his way back to the top again.
"Alright, that should be enough data," Hiro interjects through the intercom. "Thanks, Sora. I think you sparked some new ideas."
"Great!" Sora grins. "I'm glad I could-" He stops short, caught off guard as the intercom channel is suddenly filled with the overlapping pitches of abundant newfound ideas from the various members of Big Hero 6.
"Yeah! Hiro, I think there's a way to-"
"I figured out that we can-"
"Did you see how-"
"All we need to do is upgrade our-"
This excited buzz of various plans and proposals continue for quite some time, each of the young heroes confident that their new tactics will succeed. An outcome that they all hope for, especially for the sake of protecting the city they all call home from a threat none of them have ever really faced before. A threat that they faced a humiliating defeat against once before. But, if all of their new ideas truly pan out, then next time they face them, then maybe, just maybe, things will be different.
With all their new tactics in mind, everyone gets to work on bringing them to life almost as soon as they reconvene back at the garage. Hiro is by far the busiest among them, already eagerly working on a barrage of new and improved designs and upgrades to his teammate's armor, all based on the copious amount of pertinent data gathered from the simulation.
Still, that doesn't mean none of the others are left without any work to do. As technologically adept as they all also are, the members of Big Hero 6 all set out to tinker with their own weapons in various ways. And even if they aren't as scientifically-minded as the team of young heroes were, Sora, Donald, and Goofy all still try to help out with moving those upgrades along the best they can. By assisting Honey Lemon as she develops a few new types of chem balls, helping Wasabi test out his new pair of plasma blades, even offering a few base suggestions for additions to Fred's suit and changes to Go Go's megalev discs, the trio makes good use of what they know about the Heartless to help their new friends better fight them. A goal that Hiro professes confidence that they'll accomplish as he updates Baymax with a brand-new battle chip, fully loaded with more than enough moves to face the Heartless head on.
"That… should do it," Hiro smiles in satisfaction as he slips the new chip into Baymax's data port. "Oh, and Sora, Donald, Goofy, you guys are gonna love this. I remembered what you said about that Key you're looking for showing up because of strong emotions, so I downloaded another new feature onto that chip. Tell 'em all about it, Baymax."
The robot takes pause, allowing said data to properly download onto his system before explaining it to the curious trio. "I can now scan for and detect significant pulses of emotion on a wide scale in order to ascertain the location of the Key."
"Oh, cool!" Sora explains, initially enthusiastic. "And, uh… what does that mean, exactly?"
"It just means that Baymax can help you look for the Key," Hiro chuckles. "I wanted to have his scanner actually pinpoint where it is directly, but… that was kind of hard to do since none of us really know what it's made of. So I figured the whole 'emotion' route would be the next best thing. Now, I can't guarantee that it'll work, but-"
"But it's still really great that you thought of it all the same," Sora says warmly, Donald and Goofy mirroring his appreciation with affirmative nods. "And I'm sure it'll work. Thanks, Hiro."
"Hey, thank you," Hiro says, genuinely grateful as he motions to the rest of his team. "Without you, we never would have gotten the data we need to stand a chance against those monsters. But now, I think we're finally ready to face them on our own."
"Um… speaking of which…" Honey Lemon speaks up, fretfully looking over to the computer as a timely news alert begins to play.
"We interrupt your scheduled program to bring you this breaking news. Moments ago, the city's South District was attacked by numerous unidentified creatures." A feed of that part of the section of the city pops up, and sure enough, a large horde of frenzied Heartless swarm through it, ruthlessly going after any innocent civilian unfortunate enough to cross their path. "Witnesses describe losing sight of victims during the mayhem. Many also said they saw strange, floating heart symbols in the vicinity of the missing victims. City police are urging citizens to stay at home. For those just joining us minutes ago, the South District was attacked by-"
Hiro shuts the stream off at this, turning to his team and the trio with a stern sense of resolve to save the city before it's too late. While the others all share that resolve, much like Hiro, Sora is the most adamant about it, ever determined to protect innocent people from the substantial threat the Heartless always pose. Which is why both of them look to the rest of the group one more time, more than ready to put their new skills to the test as they both proclaim that goal in the same sort of daring unison: "Go time!"
San Fransokyo's South District is known as the city's busy business sector, where commercial commerce thrives thanks to the many large companies that call the area home. However, the towering office buildings that compose it, as well as any poor passerby caught between them, all find themselves in jeopardy thanks to dangerous creatures bombarding them. And while a mass number of panicked civilians frantically flee from that danger to find some form of safe shelter, another group brazenly runs directly toward them in the hopes of putting a stop to their destructive attack instead.
In order to cover more ground, the trio and the members of Big Hero 6 decide to split up, with Go Go, Wasabi, Honey Lemon, and Fred working to get civilians to safety while protecting them from any Heartless they might encounter along the way. At the same time, Baymax accompanies Sora, Donald, and Goofy as they rush to find the main mass of Heartless, something that doesn't take very long as they happen to run into a rather large group of them largely on accident.
"There they are!" Goofy calls, already raising his shield.
"Let's get 'em!" Donald shouts, his staff ready to fire off a starting spell.
Likewise, Sora readies his Keyblade to enter the fray, though just before he can, Baymax stops him short with his most recent report. "My new emotional scanner is picking up immense amounts of distress and fear from nearby civilians. Are these the kind of emotions that can assist you in finding the Key?"
"Uh… I don't think so…" Sora frowns, knowing he already claimed a previous Key from feelings of fear. "But thanks for the help anyway, Baymax."
"Understood," Baymax says. "In that case, I will continue scanning for strong emotions that are not fear."
Sora nods, somewhat amused but also quite impressed by just how dutiful the robot always proves to be. However, he still isn't able to join his companions in facing the Heartless right away as Hiro reaches out to him this time, once again through the AR device's intercom. "Sora, above you!" he warns, directing his attention to the top of a tall building dead ahead. "I'm picking up some kind of threat."
"Yeah, I see it too," Sora says, noticing the strange burst of unknown movement. "I'll check it out. You guys have things covered down here?" he asks Donald and Goofy before he sets out.
"We sure do!" Goofy confidently assures as he tosses his shield through a group of smaller Heartless.
"Question is, do you have things covered without us?" Donald asks Sora with something of a teasing smirk.
"Very funny," Sora shoots back just as dryly. "But I think I can handle this one."
"Sora, I can assist you in reaching the top of the building," Baymax says, letting his wings out as his thrusters propel him just a bit off the ground. "Flying makes me a better healthcare companion."
"It sure does!" Sora exclaims, excited by the opportunity that he readily takes by hopping onto the robot's back. "Let's go, Baymax!"
Baymax does just that, immediately taking off and rocketing toward the sky at an incredible speed. Despite essentially having to hold onto the robot for dear life all the while, Sora can't help but let out an exhilarated cheer amidst the flight, one that Baymax points out as they near the top of the targeted building.
"I am sensing that you are experiencing increased adrenaline and serotonin levels, which are often associated with feelings of excitement and joy," the robot notes above the upwardly rushing wind. "Are these emotions connected to the Key you are searching for?"
"Who knows?" Sora shrugs with a light smile. "Could be. I guess we'll just have to keep going and find out!"
The pair soon clears the top of the building, though a quick fly-over reveals exactly what sort of threat awaits atop it. A trio of strong, armored Heartless patrol the rooftop, though the moment they catch sight of Sora and Baymax hovering high above their heads, they're thrown into an instant angered frenzy. Upon seeing this, Baymax dives in so he and Sora can take them on, utilizing their midair advantage well as they begin landing a series of coordinated team attacks on the brutish trio. Between Baymax's aimed and heavy blows and a mix of Sora utilizing both magic and his Keyblade in between, the Heartless can do little to stop them, even with their sharp, spear-like weapons. Whatever blows the pair do sustain, Baymax's sturdy armor takes the brunt of, allowing them both to sweep through the unruly group with relative ease.
"All right!" Sora cheers as they take the final Heartless down, allowing them both to safely land on top of the building. "Piece of cake. Looks like those new moves are really paying off, huh?"
"Yes," Baymax agreed. "The shugyo is proving to be very effective."
"Wait, Sora!" Hiro suddenly warns through the intercom, alarmed. "Something big is coming your way. Everyone else is already on the ground fighting it; you guys oughta go join them."
"Gotcha," Sora nods, ready for the next leg of the battle as he boards Baymax's back once again. "We'll take care of it!"
Without wasting any time, the pair takes off, zooming in low from their previously high perch to navigate the surrounding area for any additional Heartless activity. Fortunately, Hiro takes the liberty of uploading the proper coordinates to both Baymax's scanner as well as Sora's AR device, which makes easy work in locating the creature they're looking for. Said creature is a large, lumbering Heartless, one that towers over the members of Big Hero 6 as well as Donald and Goofy as they all team up to fight it together. Sora and Baymax are quick to join that fight as they land on the street alongside the others, seeming to set the monstrous Heartless off even more as it lets out a fierce, booming roar.
"That thing's massive!" Hiro exclaims over the intercom, tracking the creature back at the garage. "Stop it or it's gonna wreck the city!"
"On it," Go Go nods as she and the other members of Big Hero 6 poise themselves to attack.
"Uh, guys?" Wasabi takes in a fearful breath as he notices the group of monsters materializing not too far away. "W-we've got even more company!"
"Then we'll start small and work our way up from there," Honey Lemon says, already using her purse to craft a few of her newer chem balls.
"Yeah! Let's line 'em up and knock 'em down!" Fred exclaims, daringly leaping into action.
It doesn't take long for the others to do the same, everyone fanning out through the immediate vicinity to face their foes squarely. Between the numerous smaller Heartless, the members of Big Hero 6 follow through on their plan to fight them first, leaving the larger monster for Baymax and the trio, at least for now. And sure enough, their newfound tactics against fighting the Heartless works wonders for them, something that Go Go puts into practice first as she skates onto an adjacent street, allowing a pack of flying Heartless to tail her all the while.
"Just try and catch me," she challenges them with a small smirk as she leans low on her megalev discs. The speed she gathers is more than enough to allow her to launch herself high onto the side of the nearest building, deftly skating up its edge as the Heartless continue to follow her. At least until she turns to send the pair of discs on her arms flying straight at them. The weapons cut through the creatures that remain grounded first, though as they swiftly glide back toward her, the winged Heartless also meet their ends in turn. Satisfied by this winning strategy, Go Go speeds back down to the ground, ready to try it out once more.
Several blocks away, a series of plasma blasts catapult their way into a similar crowd of flying Heartless, with Wasabi keeping himself grounded atop a shorter building while he fires his projectiles off in rapid succession. His aim proves to be less than accurate, however as the creatures always seem to dodge his attacks, much to his growing frustration.
"Oh, c'mon!" he groans, annoyed. "Stay still, will ya?!"
"I've got an idea!" Honey Lemon exclaims, running past him with a new chem ball in hand. Not skipping a beat, she tosses it at the horde, and the blast that follows concealed the entire group in a layer of thick, incomprehensible fog.
"Hey!" Wasabi protests, rushing over to her. "I can't aim if I can't see!"
Even so, Honey Lemon's plan isn't quite finished yet as she produces another orb through her purse, one that she doesn't explain to the still very confused Wasabi as she instead lobs it upward. The moment the orb strikes the fog, the resounding chemical reaction solidifies it, trapping the Heartless within a dense, frozen prison they're helpless to escape from, especially as it falls hard to the ground far below.
"Better?" Honey Lemon grins to her teammate.
"Much better," Wasabi nods, taking steady aim at the forestalled group on the ground. Without any of their frantic movements, the Heartless are easily defeated the moment his plasma blasts strikes them, creating a strong, resounding explosion in the process.
Out of that explosion, Fred boldly leaps forward, eagerly ready to engage the flock of Heartless swarming the street before him with his suit's newest ability. "Freeze!" he exclaims, firing out an intense, icy burst of breath upon them all before making his next move. "Flame!" On that same momentum, he lets out another heavy breath, this time one of burning heat that only really serves to unthaw the Heartless he froze mere seconds ago. "Whuh?" Fred frowns, initially confused by his plan's failure. Until… "Oh! I get it! It's a combo move!" He grins, jumping high into the air as he unleashes both fire and ice in full force at the exact same time, in an attack that's more than enough to clear out all of the Heartless closing in.
As Big Hero 6 continues taking out the smaller threats with much more success this time around, Sora, Donald, and Goofy still keep their focus on the largest Heartless among them. Baymax offers them ample backup as they try their best to land as many hits as they can on the massive creature, though given its sturdy, armored exterior, it's anything but an easy feat. To make matters even more difficult, the monster utilizes a rather annoying habit of engulfing its entire body in flames, making it all the more difficult for the trio to so much as get close to it, much less attack it.
"Yeowch!" Goofy flinches back from the intense heat radiating from the Heartless. "We're in some real hot water here, fellas! What do we do?"
"What we really need is a way to weaken his armor…" Sora notes, watching Donald try and fail to quell the monster's flames with yet another water spell. "Got any ideas, Baymax?"
The robot stops midair, looking between the trio and the monster briefly before nodding calmly. "Yes." And with that Baymax flies off, rocketing up into the air and out of the group's sight altogether, much to their confusion.
"Wha-Where's he going?!" Donald asks, alarmed.
"Wait! I see him!" Goofy shouts, pointing up to the sky. "Look!"
Sure enough, Baymax hovers high above the city and the ongoing action down below, aiming his hand back down toward the ground, more specifically at the rampaging Heartless, before sending his rocket fist flying. The swift projectile strikes its mark hard and steady, pummeling into the Heartless with an immense amount of force behind it. The creature lets out a shrill hiss at this, its flames dying down and its armor breached, at last allowing the trio to go in for a direct assault. They do so in unison, with Sora leaping off the boost Goofy offers him through his shield as Donald uses a heavy burst of ice magic to freeze the monster's legs to the ground. With the creature immobilized, Sora finds a clear shot at landing a heavy blow to its head, though as Baymax flies back in toward him, he comes up with an even better idea to do that and more.
Baymax fortunately understands his intent too as he glides in low, catching Sora's outstretched hand right as he nearly hits the Heartless. The pair outmaneuvers its attempts at lashing out at them, gaining a good bit more height above it before Sora leaps off the robot toward the Heartless once more. He goes in Keyblade first, half-tempted to cast some darkened light around it for good measure, at least until he remembers who's watching. Still, his weapon alone proves enough to land a brutal strike head-on, one that causes the massive Heartless critical damage. The creature breaks the ice around its legs as it rears up, writhing in pain for a moment until it clumsily crashes back down onto the frozen spikes it had unwittingly created in the process. And that, alongside yet another unified strike from the trio, is ultimately more than enough to bring its furious rampage to an end.
As the monster fully falls in defeat, Baymax rejoins the trio on the ground as they take a much-needed moment to recuperate from the intense battle. Still, their spirits stay high, especially as they notice the number of Heartless besetting the city as a whole rapidly starting to decline thanks to Big Hero 6's courageous efforts.
"Nice, Baymax!" Sora congratulates the robot for his skillful moves as he, Donald, and Goofy hurry over to him. Strangely, Baymax says nothing, instead silently holding out a fist Sora, catching him and his companions off guard. "Uh… what?"
"Now, we fist bump," the robot explains simply.
"First… bump?" Sora frowns, not following.
"To display excitement. Hiro taught it to me."
"So… like this…?" Still quite confused, Sora presses his fist against the robot's much larger one, Donald and Goofy practicing the move on each other as they watch curiously. In the immediate aftermath of the bump, Baymax draws his hand back, waving fingers almost playfully in the process.
"Bah-la-la-la-la-la-la-la," the robot chimes, expectantly looking to Sora to do the same.
"Bah-la-la-la?" he ventures, trying his best to mimic Baymax as Donald and Goofy follow suit, even if the gesture is still somewhat lost on the trio as a whole.
"My scanners are detecting emotions of confusion and bewilderment," Baymax notes evenly. "Do these kinds of feelings correlate to the Key? Or are joy and excitement more potent emotional responses instead?"
"Uh… I feel like that's kind of hard to say for sure," Sora says, thoughtfully. "But I still think you could be on the right track."
"Well at least somebody is," Donald remarks, hands on his hips as he looks to Sora with a dry smirk.
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"
"Uh… fellas?" Goofy attempts to interject as he glances back at the supposedly fallen monster behind them.
"It means you never know where and how to look for the Keys!" Donald largely ignores the captain in favor of critiquing Sora instead.
"F-fellas?" Goofy tries once more, though he doesn't really reach either of them.
"Oh yeah? Then how is it that I've found three of them so far?" Sora retorts, an air of challenge in his tone.
"Fellas!"
"Through luck," Donald concludes with a haughty smirk. "And not because of that 'Keys instinct' or whatever you like to call it, which, by the way doesn't exist."
"You keep saying that but we keep finding them, so…" Sora trails off with an equally smug grin.
"Oh no." Baymax's rather muted declaration of alarm is what ultimately breaks the pair out of their ongoing debate rather as opposed to Goofy's much more frantic attempts at catching their attention. And indeed, that alarm proves warranted as the previously defeated Heartless suddenly lets out a furious roar, pulling itself up off the ground as it manages to recover for another round against the group.
"Everyone, get ready!" Sora exclaims, quickly snapping into a battle-ready pose alongside Donald and Goofy as they all call upon their weapons. This time, however, they find they won't have to face the creature on their own.
"We're here!"
With their weapons still trained on the Heartless, the trio turns to see the full force of Big Hero 6 behind them, including Hiro, who'd ventured all the way from the garage to help firsthand. The team stands ready to face this persistent threat together, even if some of them are a bit more ready than others.
"Aw, man, can't we pick on one our own size?" Wasabi asks, intimidated by the fearsome beast before them.
"It looks the right size to me," Go Go remarks with a wry, daring smirk.
"Watch me scorch 'em with my freeze-nado!" Fred brazenly proclaims. "The only tornado made of ice and fire!"
"Whatever it takes to protect the city," Honey Lemon agrees, readily clutching a chem ball.
"You took on the wrong court magician!" Donald exclaims, glaring the large Heartless down.
"And the wrong captain of the guard!" Goofy adds just as boldly.
"Prepare to face Keyblade Hero 3!" Sora finishes, more than ready to finish the impending fight ahead.
"Oh, come on…" Donald grumbles, still far from fond of that awkward team name.
"And the crime-fighting team of Big Hero 6!" Hiro interjects, sharing the determined resolve of all the others. "Together, we're unstoppable."
With that, the collective group of 9 all rushes forward, the massive Heartless doing the same to meet them in battle. A battle that, with both teams of heroes working together to reach their goals, this time around sees a swift and easy end.
After a quick recon around the entire city, it soon becomes apparent that most, if not all of the Heartless had been eradicated in that final strike, leaving its innocent residents safe and sound once more. Given how arduous their first skirmishes against the creatures had started, the members of Big Hero 6 proclaim this triumph as no small feat, one that's worthy of celebrating alongside their trio of invaluable new friends. And though Sora, Donald, and Goofy remain mindful that their search for this world's Key is still on, none of them protest taking a relaxing break after the hectic day filled with fighting Heartless.
Said break takes both teams to the top of San Fransokyo's iconic crimson bridge, giving them a beautifully scenic view of the city just as the crisp, warm sun begins to set over it. Before Baymax took turns flying everyone up to the bridge's upper levels, they had all stopped to get something to toast their shared victory to: a hearty round of fudge ice cream bars. And so, along with the grand view laying out before them, the collective group enjoys their sweet treats and each other's company, cheerfully reveling in the success they all have to share.
Honey Lemon, Wasabi, and Fred, along with Donald and Goofy, take to one of the bridge's lower levels, each of them buzzing with satisfaction and excitement over the battle they'd just won. Having already quickly devoured his ice cream bar, Fred hops around the support beam frenetically, caught up in celebrating in the most bombastic way among any of the others. "Was that awesome?" he asks, performing another high leap before he lands close to where Donald sits on the edge of the beam. "Or was that totally AWESOME?!"
"Yeah, I was pretty good," Donald grins, quite proud of his part in the skirmish.
"Your magic is amazing," Honey Lemon nods with an earnest smile. "Do you think I could study it sometime?"
"Why not?" the magician happily agrees, eliciting an amused chuckle from the captain.
"You just made Donald's day," Goofy laughs, the others soon joining in on the bright bout of levity, including Donald himself.
As the group below continues their lighthearted conversation, Sora, Hiro, Go Go, and Baymax all enjoyed their higher vantage point on the very top of the bridge. A spot that gives them a splendorous view of the shimmering bay as the sun casts its dying light upon it. Though their spirits are still high from the battle they'd won, their conversation is surprisingly solemn all the same.
"My brother wanted to help people," Hiro begins, absently lowering his ice cream as he looks toward the setting sun. "Now, we try to do the same."
"Your brother?" Sora inquires, curious. After all, Hiro had already mentioned him once before, and yet he'd yet to make an appearance himself. And as Hiro explains, Sora soon finds out why that is.
"Yeah… Tadashi…" the boy's expression turns wistful, sad even. Likewise, Go Go also looks away, closing her eyes in deep respect for her close friend. "There was a fire, a-and now… he's gone. But… he always wanted to make a difference. He cared about people. That's why he worked so hard to create Baymax."
Upon hearing such a tragic tale, Sora looks to Hiro with genuine sympathy, scarcely able to imagine just how much pain a loss as significant as a brother could bring. "I-I'm sorry…" he says quietly, earnestly, unsure of what else to really add to that.
Yet, for his part, Hiro surprisingly takes it in stride, looking forward with a small, hopeful smile this time instead. "He's still here. In Baymax. In all of us."
Go Go and even Baymax nod in agreement with this warm sentiment, something that this time, Sora easily understands. "Tadashi-he lives on in your hearts," he muses thoughtfully, knowing just how strong the connections between hearts can be. Connections so strong that sometimes, untold separation, even death itself, can't break them.
Hiro glanced over at Sora at this, somewhat cut off guard, though ultimately he can't help but agree. "Right," he smiles easily. "He'll always be a part of us in some way."
"Yeah," Sora nods, leaning back to get a better view of the sun-soaked sky. All the while, he feels a familiar sort of stirring starting in his heart, a warmth that he knows all-too well and welcomes all the while. Especially as he remembers exactly where, or rather who that bright warmth is coming from. "And when you're not strong enough, he'll make up the difference."
Just as Roxas had made up the difference in the throes of that horrific nightmare, how he had stood against all of the darkness and treachery of Master Xehanort himself, all to protect him, to rescue his heart. In a way, Roxas had made a promise to catch him so he wouldn't fall, a promise that he knew would come at his own expense. But it had been a promise he'd made all the same, to lend his strength to Sora if he ever needed it-and he always does need it-even if that means his own heart still can't be set free.
And yet for the briefest of moments, captivated in the crisp orange glow of the setting sun he'd seen many times before, it feels as though he really is free. He's free and there he is, sitting alongside Hayner, Pence, and Olette, talking and laughing and eating their sea salt ice cream, just as they always do.
"Roxas."
And yet… in another moment, that trio is gone, replaced with a pair altogether. Axel sits to his left, and to his right, a girl whose face he can't quite see. But still they smile and sit together, ice cream in hand, enjoying each other's company, however fleeting it might be.
"No. I."
The ice cream stays constant as something shifts. Axel still remains but suddenly, sitting alongside her is Roxas instead. Their smiles are muted, the world somewhat dulled but there's still a sunset, there's still a strange sort of sweetness in the air, still enough for her to treasure this memory, however frail and fleeting it truly is.
"Ventus."
But then the faces change entirely, ice cream and the sunset gone, replaced by a matching set of precious charms and a clear night's sky instead. A man with earthy brown hair and a cool, confident manner speaks to him, a woman with blue hair and a kind smile ruffles his hair. And he joins them in their bright laughter, feels secure in their comforting presence, just as he always has.
"Vanitas."
Until he finds himself sitting alone, abandoned and forgotten. Unwanted by all. Sitting under a sky just as empty as the depths of his very own incomplete heart.
"Sora."
But then there's the sunset again, flooding him with its warmth and peace as Riku and Kairi sit alongside him. Uneaten paopu fruit resting in each of their hands as they say nothing, do nothing but bask together in the hope that this is where they'll someday be once again. Home, together, just as they always promised they'd always be.
"Sora…?"
He finally opens his eyes at this, breaking himself out a flowing tide of memories, both known and unknown with a startled gasp. He glances over swiftly, finding the very same group of Hiro, Go Go, and Baymax sitting alongside him, just as they'd been moments ago. All three of them look over to him with concern, noticing just how strangely disoriented he seems to be completely out of, as far as they know, nowhere.
"Uh… you ok, Sora?" Hiro asks, worried by the older boy's startled expression.
"Um, y-yeah," Sora nods quickly, forcing himself to recover. "Fine."
Fortunately, the others buy this without much else of an explanation, going back to enjoying their ice cream and the sunset as they'd been before. Yet at the same time, Sora keeps his thoughts on that strange string of memories he'd just seen, on that feeling of warmth, still brimming strong in his heart, protecting it from the darkness that's actively trying to pervade it.
"You protected our hearts inside of your own, now let us return the favor," Roxas had said, his smile carrying a vow so momentous that Sora knows he'll never be able to repay it, if he can even try at all. "I know you'll find a way to save us someday, but right now, we're going to do everything we can to save you." And he had. And they are.
Much like how Hiro and the rest of Big Hero 6 still carry Tadashi on in their hearts, Sora knows he's doing very much the same with Roxas, and, as he'd recently learned, Ventus as well. And yet as he carries them within his heart, they still strive to carry his heart on as well. To shield it, to save it, from whatever harm might try to come to it, darkness or otherwise. Which is why, with that promise in mind, with the knowledge of what they're doing to help him, the lengths they're going to to protect him, Sora resolves, now more than ever, to do his part to do whatever he can to set them both free.
So he smiles softly as he looks to the sky once more, letting the glow of that ever-constant sunset compliment the gentle warmth resting within his heart as he quietly offers up his own promise once again. "I'm with you," he says, his voice barely a whisper as he closes his eyes and hopes they hear, knowing that they will. "Both of you."
While most of San Fransokyo lay fast asleep in the late hours of the night, some still roam its streets under the cover of darkness, usually those looking for trouble. Or rather, the source of such trouble itself, as is the case with one particular pair as they stroll across one of its empty byways.
"Uh… Maleficent?" Pete speaks up, dubiously glancing around the surrounding city. "You sure those three are runnin' around this here world? 'Cause I haven't seen hide nor hair of 'em since we got here!"
"Fret not," Maleficent assures as coolly as ever. She glances over the edge of the interpass, focusing in on a small, yet straggling pack of Heartless gathered in an alleyway below. "They're here. After all, wherever the three of them go, the Heartless are typically not far behind."
Though he still has his doubts, Pete nods all the same, accepting his partner's intel. "So, what's the plan? You gonna let me sock it to the King's pair o' punks while you drag the kid off kickin' and screaming? Or should we do it the other way around?"
"Neither, you simpleton," Maleficent glares over at her henchman. "I have no intentions of doling out any sort of mindless brute force this time. That's what the Heartless are for."
"Er-whuzzit? We're using Heartless this time around?" Pete asks, confused. "Well why didn't ya just do that last time!? Would've worked out way better than that whole thing with the vines if ya ask me."
"Enough, you fool," Maleficent growls, growing increasingly irritated by the moment. "My brilliant plan will become perfectly clear once we-" She stops short, picking up on the formation of the dark corridor appearing behind them almost instantly. Startled, Pete spins around to see who's joining them, Maleficent does the same much more calmly, but even so, both of them still stay on their guard as black coat-clad figure emerges from the portal. His lifted hood conceals his face, but even so, she recognizes his voice from the moment he first speaks.
"Why are you snooping around?" he asks the pair haughtily, hands on his hips.
"That would be none of your concern," Maleficent scoffs flippantly.
Even so, the hooded figure simply laughs her off. "You're after something you ultimately won't be able to control. Overstep, and darkness will consume you again," he warns almost knowingly.
"What an interesting thing to say," Maleficent smirks, unconcerned. "But I shall do anything I please. As should you."
The hooded figure nods, seeming to accept this as he turns to take his leave. "Oh, I intend to," he says, calling upon another dark corridor. Though before he steps through it, he g;ances back at the pair one last time. "Oh, and if you do manage to actually get what you want here, make sure to tell him we're more than ready to welcome him with open arms any time he wants…"
Maleficent's already severe glower deepens upon hearing this, especially as she watches the hooded figure disappear. "Oh believe me," she hisses bitterly. "I will do no such thing. Especially since I can guarantee that he'll be in my employ first…"
"Who was that guy?" Pete interjects, confused by the strange, yet sudden visit. "Friend of yours?"
Maleficent finally cools down a bit at this as she continues on her way once more. "Yes. Though I could not tell you from 'when'," she says, an air of mystery in her tone. "Either way, as I was saying before we were so rudely interrupted… allow me to propose a question, Pete, that even someone as dense as yourself might have a suitable answer to. If you are fully aware of your enemy's weakness, what would you do with that information?"
"Uh… use their weakness against 'em," Pete says as though it's obvious. "Duh."
"Of course," Maleficent grins deviously. "And if your foe's weakness was, say, a deep, undying dedication and devotion to their friends, then how would you go about exploiting that weakness…?"
"Uh… well…" the henchmen pauses, trying to come up with a suitable answer until his partner grows impatient and fills one in for him.
"You would force that foe to choose," Maleficent says with a cold, treacherous smirk, assured that her plan, and all that it entails will soon be realized. "You'd force him to choose between himself and his friends. And once his poor, bleeding heart makes the obvious choice... " Her treacherous grin deepens as she clenches a tight fist over her glowing scepter, blocking out any sort of light coming from it altogether until only darkness remains. The very same sort of thing she plans on doing to a certain heart the moment she finally has its owner in her unyielding, merciless clutches. "That's when we'll strike…"
Ohoho well at least I managed to provide some interesting... setup in this chapter. Cause like I said next time around is when things really start to get... interesting. But as for now if you liked what you saw here please don't forget to REVIEW! Until next time!
