Chapter 2

Hiro gestured to Baymax again just to reiterate his point about using him as their training robot. "I have his program coded to recognize and respond to our commands, so that he no longer just responds to me. Plus, if anything happens to any of the program chips, I had embedded core programming that adheres to the laws of robotics in his central processor."

Honey Lemon leaned forward to rest her elbows on her knees. "I understand what you are proposing, Hiro, but even if Baymax is controllable as a training robot, what about us? Doesn't it concern you what we would do to him?"

"That's the other part of it," Hiro tapped his finger on the red shell of the regular fist Baymax had taken off. "I want to test the durability strength of this new armor."

"You did test that in the lab first, right?" Wasabi shot Hiro a dubious look. His excessive caution had become his trademark, but more often than not it had saved them from a lot of unnecessary mistakes. "The last thing I want to do is cut Baymax in half!"

"Of course!" Hiro agreed. "I mean, I don't want that either."

"But... there's still that chance." GoGo spoke for the first time since he started this conversation.

Hiro glanced to where the black and yellow speedster was sitting with her legs crossed on the floor by the couch. "Yeah... it's a possibly," he agreed, after some hesitation.

Honey Lemon looked at the boy genius and then Baymax in thought. They have been a superhero team for almost three months, but it had been long enough to know when something was amiss with any of them. "Hiro... What's the real reason?"

"Yeah," Wasabi agreed. "All we've done so far was apprehend shop lifters and stop run-away trolley cars. If we're lucky, a bank robber or two. But it's been hardly anything that merits this level of training!"

GoGo looked up at Hiro that time as well, prompting him with that similar kind of concern written on her face.

Hiro took in a deep breath as he said down on the floor. "Okay, I'm- I've been having bad dreams, almost like premonitions, about stuff… like the portals." He said, looking down at his hands.

"There were two, weren't there?" Fred suddenly asked. "Or... Did Yokai take what was left of the two to make that one..?"

"That's the thing," Hiro rubbed his face. "My microbots are all in there. And so is the first Baymax, with that other chip."

"No..." Fred suddenly had a look of animated horror on his face, knowing exactly where this was heading now.

"Baymax doesn't recall if that other chip was taken out either." Hiro gestured to his re-creation of their healthcare companion.

"Yes, I cannot confirm that action," he agreed.

"But you said this was a dream," Wasabi sought to find further reason in this.

"Or a warning..." the young genius sighed. "The cops were clearly all over the collapse of Krei Industries, but it's hard to tell just how far."

"Then who else knows about what happened from that day?" Honey asked. This was not the first time they wondered about that.

"Besides Krei," Wasabi added.

"I don't know," Hiro countered. "But I wonder if we can go back to the island and find out. Cause I doubt the police will just tell us."

"Oh yey!" Fred rubbed his hands together. "Field trip time!"

"I doubt it's going to be as easy as last time," Wasabi advised. "If the cops, or higher authorities, put two and two together, that place is most likely more restricted than before."

"And ninja time!" Fred interjected.

That merited the 'shut up, Fred' look from GoGo this time.

"Which does pose the question as to why that place was quarantined," Hiro thought out loud. "It was the exiting portal that blew up, trapping Callaghan's daughter inside."

"Abigail!" Fred snapped his fingers. "We can ask her!"

Mental facepalm. "Great idea, except that she was inside, after the portals got damaged." Hiro shook his head.

"True," Fred shrugged. "However, she may know who else was on that project."

"But that other one, I don't remember it getting that much damage in the video." Hiro continued. "Cause it looked a lot worse when we were there."

"Where is she now?" Honey wondered.

"Hiding via the protection agency?" Fred joked, otherwise hinting that he really did not know. The coverage on the news about who she was had been quickly blown over and silenced as well, most likely for the sake of her sanity and security.

"If that really is the case," Wasabi rubbed his temples, "How do we find and contact her without otherwise coming across like stalkers?"

"Scanner?" Hiro finally suggested. "Provided she is still in San Fransokyo."

That still sounded like stalking her, but no onr wanted to confirm it out loud. More silence continued as they thought on other ideas.

"Visit Callaghan in prison, and just ask him?" Honey Lemon suggested. The others seemed to frown at that idea.

"This means we eventually will have to go back to that island... Hopefully the files of the others involved and stuff are still there, unless the FBI or someone else got involved and pulled everything out," Hiro sighed. This was part of the reason he really did not want to talk about this. It sounded very detailed and messy to plan out. "Homework time."

They nodded readily. Hiro glanced at his watch. There was still a little time, but he didn't really have anything else to discuss. "Wanna call it a day?"

"Sure."

"Fine by me," Wasabi stood up.


After GoGo had changed back into her street clothes in the bathroom, she grew a little more concerned about not seeing Hiro in Fred's bedroom. Hiro often had the habit of leaving early on his own. But as soon as she spotted Baymax in backpack form, she breathed a sigh of relief. He was still there, somewhere. Good, because she wanted to talk with him in private before he left.

Honey Lemon stepped up to her shorter friend, placing a hand on her arm. "Everything going okay?" she asked gently. It was not typical of GoGo to get as mad as she had earlier, and the tall chemistry student also sensed that.

GoGo just shook her head. It was a lot more complicated than what she was in the mood for. "I'll explain later."

"What happened earlier anyway?" Honey just wasn't going to leave it at that.

GoGo sighed, looking up to Honey for a moment. "They tried to prank me. It was when I heard Fred tell Hiro I had 'no panties on' that I lost it."

"He did?" Honey gasped, putting her hands on her face.

GoGo crossed her arms, giving her that cautionary look to not laugh, as she chewed her gum.

"That... Yeah, that wasn't very nice." Honey agreed in kind, for the sake of posterity.

GoGo stared at the floor where Baymax was. "But I'm not chill with how I reacted either," she added quietly. "Just need to talk to him."

"That may help," Honey nodded in agreement.

Their attention was drawn to the door that lead to Fred's super-sized closet as it banged open. Hiro must have tripped by accident as he stepped out while slinging his duffle bag on his shoulder. The speed queen popped her gum as she quickly put her thoughts together.

"Hey," GoGo walked up to him.

Hiro looked over and turned as she faced him.

"I want to talk to you about earlier," GoGo started, a little more composed.

He held his gaze on her for a moment before responding. "I'm sorry, I mean... I didn't expect that Fred would-"

"It's okay, " GoGo interrupted him. "Just remember what's really important."

"Yeah..." Hiro rubbed his neck.

She turned to look over where Fred and Wasabi were debating the possibilities of who would want to get ahold of a Ninja Baymax. "Hey, Fred!"

"Yeah, what?" he shouted back, not moving.

GoGo sighed. "Come here!"

He trotted over, looking evermore curious.

"Just want to talk," GoGo explained.

"Okay. Talking is good," Fred grinned, slapped a hand on her shoulder. "Sorry about embarrassing you."

"Honestly though," she decided to level one thing with him. "I really don't care what you two talk about on your own time. Just, please, keep all that to yourself when you're around us, okay?"

"Sure thing. Are we good then?" Fred perked up.

GoGo popped her gum, looking at them with her arms crossed. "And for the record... I do wear underwear, thank you very much."

She shot a look at Hiro, who suddenly appeared rather embarrassed again as he watched her turn to leave the two.

"Hey, chillax, buddy. It's all good," Fred pushed Hiro forward toward the others, in an effort to get him to loosen up.

"Hiro, do you need a ride back to campus?" Honey Lemon called out.

He picked up his skateboard by the couch, looking at it, then to the others. It was an ever constant battle for the younger Hamada. He was trying so hard lately to be more mature and independent around them. He even asked Aunt Cass about using Tadashi's old scooter to get to campus. She wasn't sure about allowing it yet, for safety reasons.

"Um, sure. But I call shotgun!" Hiro finally made his decision to join them.

GoGo rolled her eyes, wondered why else he called shotgun. It wasn't just because he needed the extra space for Baymax. She felt like he was trying to avoid her again. It was a trend she noticed anytime she had teased or warned him about her personal space. He would be on tiptoes around her for the next couple of days, unless she said something about it.

"Thanks again, Fred! See you later," Wasabi said, leading the way out.


The damp mist of the rainy night finally was beginning to chill the young robotics engineer to the bone as he sat in his corner of the garage. Breaking from his work, he pulled out the electric radiant heater and cranked it up to warm the space. After warming his fingers for a minute, Hiro decided to take a break from trying to complete stage one for his project that semester. November meant crunch time, what with finals coming up in three weeks. But, trying to keep his mind focused on one thing lately hadn't been his best strength.

He pulled his tablet over to him, and opened up a messenger app.

[MegaZot] Hey, GoGo...

[MegaZot] When you guys were looking for more videos and stuff about the portals on Akuma island, was there anything else there you saw about what happened?

[GoGoTomago] Hiro

[GoGoTomago] Is this an emergency?

[MegaZot] No

[GoGoTomago] Do you know what time it is?

[MegaZot] 2:41:34 am

[GoGoTomago] Yes!

[GoGoTomago] Go to bed!

[MegaZot] Not yet...

[GoGoTomago] I rather talk when the sun is up.

[MegaZot] Okay... good night.

Hiro sighed, and switched chat channels over to Fred. He never seemed to complain about the time.

[MegaZot] Do you know how long has the science of teleportation has been in existence?

[MegaZot] The concept of it, versus the first time it became an actual reality?

[Kaiju] hi little buddy

[MegaZot] sometimes I wonder if that's what happened to the plane my parents were on

[Kaiju] ... what r u talking about

[MegaZot] Portals

[MegaZot] …and if they can suck up a big airplane

[Kaiju] why?

[MegaZot] just something that crossed my mind

[Kaiju] what happened to your parents?

[MegaZot] The flight they were on disappeared... went off the radar. No crash site was found.

[Kaiju] oh... Tadashi said they crashed into the ocean

[MegaZot] That's just the story we tell ppl

[Kaiju] oic

[Kaiju] like an alien space bridge?

[MegaZot] maybe

[MegaZot] it would have to be big

[Kaiju] as for ur question… I dont think they were that advanced back then

Hiro got tired of typing, and switched it over to a 'talk to text' function so he could finish assembling a part of the prototype for his new robot's chassis.

[MegaZot] That's what makes me wonder. If they knew there was a good chance that abigail was still in there, why didn't they try to reactivate the portal to see about getting her out earlier

[MegaZot] I was able to get in and out of the same portal

[Kaiju] yea… good point! But I can't confirm nor deny that truth

[MegaZot] Really.. what if there was more to it? I think there has to be.

[Kaiju] ur really serious about that

[MegaZot] Yeah

[MegaZot] Not right away though but something to think about

Hiro stopped talking, just so he could focus on how a couple pieces fit together before fusing them.

[Kaiju] did u have another portal dream, or something?

[MegaZot] No

[MegaZot] Just working on something in the garage

[Kaiju] like what?

[MegaZot] My other project…

[Kaiju] its another robot, right?

[MegaZot] yeah

[Kaiju] a big robot?

[MegaZot] kind of

[Kaiju] is it going to be a transformer?

[MegaZot] no

[Kaiju] a fire breathing godzilla?

[MegaZot] hah... no

[Kaiju] you're still not going to say?

[MegaZot] yup

[Kaiju] i won't tell

[MegaZot] that's what I'm worried about

[Kaiju] :p

[Kaiju] not tired yet?

[MegaZot] pff... sleep is for the weak

[MegaZot] I can barely move my arms though

[Kaiju] for real!

More silence again as he looked what was starting to resemble the head of his robot. He was also noticing Fred's subtle hints about how late it was getting as well. At least he could go out with a bang.

[MegaZot] she prolly wears a thong

[Kaiju] lol

[Kaiju] ur still thinking about that?

[MegaZot] no thanks to you, buddy

[Kaiju] ur the one who made her super suit look so hot

[MegaZot] she told me too

[Kaiju] sure

[MegaZot] ಠ_ಠ

[Kaiju] y'know... going commando could mean less laundry overall

[MegaZot] O_o

[Kaiju] or not... I actually would have to wash my pants

[MegaZot] o_O

[MegaZot] maybe now is a good time for me to go to bed

[Kaiju] hah

[Kaiju] nighty night then

[MegaZot] yeah, ditto :p


AN: Trying to post regularly ...hopefully. This week was different due to work and spring break. :p

EchidnaPower - Yes, thank you for your note about when everything takes place in my "universe". I updated the first chapter with this detail, and make it more clear in the Summary of No Superheroing Today, that the two-part takes place long after this one.

RGZ Archer - Thank you as always for your awesome reviews. I will admit, I don't like being too predictable in my stories. My apologies well in advance for GoGo if she did come off too harsh (I also went back and tamed her a bit). But there is a reason for what I do, so hang in there... it will all come to light eventually.

Thank you again, everyone!