Tadashi materialised next to Rena, his arm pressed against her side. She was brought swiftly back to reality and offered him a weak smile he did not return.

'Help me get Baymax out.' Tadashi said, opening the passenger door and leaning across to grab the robot.

'Wait-' Rena grabbed his arm and he stared at her, a look of confusion displayed upon his pale face. 'Don't you think it's best if we leave Baymax here? He's not very inconspicuous, and definitely not ideal for a quick getaway.' Tadashi opened his mouth to continue but she ploughed on, 'and I know he'd be good for in case anyone gets hurt but think about it!'

'Yeah but-'

'Let's leave him here, readily waiting by the car. That way, as soon as we get here we can hop in and if any injuries need to be treated he can do that as soon as possible. Yeah?'

Tadashi chewed his lip, uncertain. Then, clearly aware of the time they were wasting, he nodded. 'Okay.'

He pulled the charging case out and Rena helped to haul it onto the filthy pavement.

'Ow.'

As Baymax inflated, Rena pulled her hoodie tighter around herself and shivered. It wasn't that cold out temperature wise, but the street was dark and unforgiving, the shattered class and half-lit cigarettes littered across the floor glittered threateningly in the moonlight. How Hiro could survive out here, with no one to have his back, she had no idea. Rena has to hand it to him - the kid had one hell of a backbone.

'Okay Baymax, stay here. Got it? We'll be back soon.' Tadashi hesitated, a plan seeming to form in his head. 'If we're not back in half an hour then call Fred and everyone - tell them we need help. Got it?'

'Yes. Timer set for 30 minutes.' Baymax sat down gently onto the pavement, staring at them with his robotic eyes. 'Address logged.'

'Thank you.' Tadashi turned to his sister, his jaw set. 'Well, what are we waiting for?'

They kept together as they crept down the alleyway, the only noise that rang out in the bitter night air was the cracking of class beneath their shoes.

Rena held her breath, fumbling around in the semi-darkness. She reached out and clutched at Tadashi's sleeve, fingers curling tightly around the fabric. Her older brother stepped slightly in front, desperate to do whatever he could to protect her. Ordinarily, she would've been annoyed. However, due to the recent hospitalization and the fear crawling it's way up her throat, the teen found herself not minding as much as she should have.

'Bot fighting!' She whispered, 'why couldn't it have been fishing! Or... or train spotting!'

Tadashi shook his head, pulling her along. 'Oh yeah cause train spotting is absolutely his thing.'

'Well y'know... I could maybe see it. Maybe.'

'Yeah well-'

Tadashi was stopped mid-sentence when they rounded the corner and almost crashed straight into a burly looking man, tattoos all the way up his arms and beefy neck. Rena gave a sharp squeak of surprise and tugged on Tadashi's sleeve, almost pulling him backwards in the process. The man stared down at them hungrily.

'What are you kids doing down here? Get gone!' He barked.

'We're uhh... we're here for the botfighting!' Tadashi said, standing up straighter in a weak attempt to appear more intimidating.

The man stared at him for a long moment, then burst out laughing. 'Yeah, cause you two kids are involved with botfighting. Good one. Do yourselves a favour and run along back home to Mommy and Daddy before I kick your asses there myself.'

Rena let go of her brother and tried to make herself look more important. 'We're associates of Hiro Hamada.'

The man stopped laughing and suddenly looked a little frightened. 'Hiro Hamada? The three-time champion? The kid?'

'That's right.'

He paused, seemingly unsure of what to say. 'That kid is banned, strictly speaking. Yama's orders.'

'But he's here isn't he?'

He narrowed his eyes. 'What exactly are your connections with Hamada?'

'We're uhh...'

'Managers!' Tadashi interrupted, 'yes. Managers. The kid earns a lot of money, as you said. He's a champion! Of course he's not doing everything alone.'

The man sighed. 'Fine, but if you go in you're doing it at your own risk. The kid and Yama are having a rematch, the match begins soon. If I hear you causing any trouble, be rest assured you will live to regret it. Do you understand me?'

'Oh absolutely Sir.' Tadashi said, voice trembling slightly. 'You won't hear a peep from us.'

The man glared at them as they hurried past, desperate to get away from him and his menacing glare.

'Where the hell are we going?' Rena asked, craning her neck around to see the crowd they'd just heard.

Tadashi was about to answer when a door from a few feet away was threw open and a gangly looking teenager was tossed out, landing sprawling on the concrete. Pieces of broken robot flew everywhere, scattering across the floor and rolling around. The kid scrambled to collect the remains if his bot as the man who so cruelly threw him out laughed scarily.

'Kid, don't bother coming back unless your bot can manage to stand up.'

The door slammed shut and the teen bowed his head, wiping frantically at his eyes. Tadashi stepped past his sister and bent down, scooping up microchips and broken shards of metal. He handed them to the boy, who recoiled as though he'd slapped him.

'It's okay, I won't hurt you.'

'Shut up and leave me alone.' The kid barked, shoving the pieces into his pocket.

'Well there's no need for that.' Rena said.

He jumped slightly, clearly unaware she was even there. 'Fuck off.'

'They kicked you out?' Tadashi asked.

The kid sniffed. 'Yeah. All cause the stupid bot wouldn't work.'

'What's your name?' Rena asked.

'...Brian.'

'That's not your real name, is it?'

'No.'

Tadashi stood with some difficulty, leaning against the wall for support. Brian watched him, a confused look on his face.

Rena cleared her throat and Brian turned to look at her. She got a proper look of his face. He had a terrified look in his eyes and a bloody nose. She felt a twinge of sadness when she looked at him - he looked Hiro's age. 'Brian, what are you doing? You know how dangerous this is? You do realise you can get arrested doing this?'

Brian stood up, a determined look on his face. 'Yeah. And I don't care! I need the money, and I'll do whatever it takes to get it.'

'Why can't you just get a job?' Tadashi asked.

'Because this is way cooler! And it pays more. Well, it would if I could get the robot working.'

Rena and Tadashi exchanged a look. 'Brian,' Rena said, 'don't ruin your life botfighting.'

'I'm not gonna ruin anything! Honestly, you sound like my Mom!'

'Take it from me, my brother Hiro is a botfighter-'

Brian's jaw dropped. 'You mean THE Hiro Hamada? He's YOUR BROTHER?'

Rena narrowed her eyes. 'Why? You know him?'

'Course I know him! There's not a botfighter out there that doesn't know his name! He defeated Yama in record time! You know he's only the second person to EVER do that-'

'Really?' Tadashi interrupted, 'who was the first?'

Brian shuddered. 'This guy... his name's Fournier. He's the scariest guy in the game, seriously. No one ever messes with him. Ever.'

Rena raised her eyebrows. 'What, did Hiro defeat him too?'

'I- there are rumours he did. No one actually knows for sure - if Fournier finds out you've been telling people he was defeated he would surely kill you.'

Even in the semi-darkness, Rena could see that Tadashi's face drained of colour. 'Really? How does this guy have that much power?'

'He's a psycho! Him and his brother - they're well known in the scene. Everyone knows to steer clear from them and their gang. Ruthless.' Brian shuddered dramatically.

'Brian, we need to find Hiro. Can you help us?' Tadashi questioned.

Brian raised his eyebrows. 'And why would I do that?'

'Because he's 14 and shouldn't be there. Come on, please.'

Brian laughed. 'Guys, he's one of the biggest names out there. He'll be fine! As long as he doesn't defeat Yama again.' He added quietly.

'But he will. Come on, you know he will.' Tadashi pleaded, 'come on! Help us out man!'

Brian shook his head. 'No can do I'm afraid. Besides, I've just been kicked out.'

'I'll introduce you to Hiro!' Rena exclaimed.

Brian stared at her, eyes wide. 'You will?'

'Yeah, only if you help us in here and out. FAST.'

Brian considered. 'Okay. Fine. But we can't go in through that door, else I'll be beaten up or something. ' He pointed upwards, 'there's a window up there. If we can get through there we'll end up in the bathroom.'

Rena shuddered. 'Men's room?'

'Do you want my help or not?'

She sighed. 'Fine! How are we gonna get up there?'

Brian smirked. 'Glad you asked. Be right back!'

He darted around the corner and down another side alley. As soon as he was out of earshot, Tadashi turned to Rena.

'It's been ages. What if we're too late? What if they've beaten him up?'

'Chill. You know how these botfighters are, as soon as things turn nasty they run. Cowards, the whole lot of them.'

Tadashi sighed, 'yeah. I guess so.'

Rena craned her neck around the corner, looking for Brian. 'Where the hell has he gotten to? Does he not realise we're in a bit of a hurry? You know, it would be good to get Hiro before he gets beaten to a pulp by Yama and his gang of cronies!'

Just as she said this, Brian appeared out of nowhere. He was hauling along a ladder behind him. 'Okay, we can use this to get up there-'

Rena stared at him. 'Why the fuck do you have a ladder? Where's that from?'

Brian shrugged. 'It's not my first time being kicked out. I like to be prepared!'

Rena shook her head, baffled as he lent the ladder against the building and began to climb. About halfway up, he looked down at them and called 'what are you waiting for?!'

'For fucks sake.' Rena muttered under her breath, rolling up her sleeves and standing at the base of the ladder. 'Are you sure you don't want me to hold it?' She called up to Brian.

'Nope! Should be fine!'

Rena turned to Tadashi. 'Can you believe this kid? What the actual fuck is happening right now?'

Tadashi shook his head, grinning despite everything. 'He reminds me of Hiro.'

Rena laughed. 'Yeah. Too dangerous for his own good.' She paused, eyes drifting to her brother's leg. 'Will you be alright?'

Tadashi ran a hand through his hair and offered her a weak smile. 'Uhh, probably. I think so.'

'You go first then.'

'Why, so you can catch me?'

She rolled her eyes and gestured for him to step forward. He quickly fiddled with the settings on his prosthetic before grabbing the ladder and slowly stepping his way up onto the first couple of rungs.

'You okay?' She called up once he was halfway up.

'NO!'

'Hurry up you big baby.'

Tadashi reached the top and clambered through the open window. Rena cracked her knuckles and began to climb, heart pounding with every creak of the unsteady metal. Eventually, she reached the top and was pulled inside by Tadashi. Her feet landed on the sticky floor and she shuddered.

'Well that's the last time I'm ever doing any kind of physical exercise ever again.'

'Guys!' Brian hissed, 'come on, whilst the coast is still clear!'

Eager to get out of the men's room, Rena quickly stepped past the filthy urinals and walked out into the hallway. They walked down the corridor, not bothering to keep the noise down as the roaring of the crowd on the floor below them was so loud it would have drowned them out anyway. Rena ran her hand along the wall absent-mindedly, disgusted to find that when she pulled it away her fingertips were black.

'This place is disgusting.' She muttered to Tadashi, wrinkling her nose and wiping her hand on her jeans.

Tadashi pulled a face. 'It's a serious health hazard.'

They made their way down a rickety flight of stairs before stopping in front of a large door. Brian laid his hand on it and turned back to look at the two of them.

'Ready? It's not too late to turn back.' He puffed out his chest and stood taller. 'It can be scary for first timers.'

Rena rolled her eyes. 'Get a move on.'

He pushed the door open and Rena stepped through the doorway into a huge room. The first thing that hit her was the smell - if possible, it reeked worse than the toilets. It was like an unpleasant mix of sweat and blood all rolled into one. On the wall furthest away from them was a huge screen, botfighters crowded beneath it.

NEXT MATCH - ZERO VS. YAMA

PLACE BETS NOW

Beneath was a countdown. Four and a half minutes until the start of the match.

'God this place has really upgraded, huh? A screen and everything!' Rena said, nudging Tadashi's side. She turned to Brian, 'why the hell does it say Zero?'

Brian shrugged, 'cause that's what Yama wanted, I guess.'

Tadashi's face was drained of colour. 'Four and a half minutes. We're never gonna find him in time, and the idiot's gonna beat him. Shit.'

Rena's heart leapt into her throat. She hadn't even considered that. 'No, we can find him. Come on.'

She grabbed his sleeve and pulled him along, Brian jogging after them. 'Guys! The ring is beneath the screen there.' He caught up with Rena's strides and pointed towards the mob. 'In the centre there, that's normally where you'll find the fighters. Hiro won't be in the ring - he always appears the last possible minute. Probably so he won't get beaten up. He'll be loitering around somewhere.'

Rena scanned the crowd desperately, but it was no use. Hiro was tiny - there's no way she would be able to spot him in the crowd. Fighters of all shapes and sizes were crammed together, waving bots and wads of money in the air. The noise was unbearable - yells and screams from winners and losers alike and she found herself having to speak louder the closer they got to the ring.

'HEY! What are we gonna do?!' She said loudly, eyes flicking back to the timer. 3 minutes 38 seconds.

Before Brian could say anything, Tadashi dived into the crowd. Rena yelled and tried to grab his sleeve, but within ten seconds he had disappeared into the mass of fighters.

'Brilliant!' She yelled, exasperated. 'Come on, we're gonna have to go after him!'

Brian stared at her and laughed loudly. 'Not a chance!'

'What?! Don't tell me you're scared of them?' She jerked her thumb back to indicate the mass.

'I am! Oh I absolutely am! They'll beat me up if they find out I've been in here again!'

'I have to follow him, and you're coming with me!'

'No I am not - it's your funeral. Adios!' He yelled over the noise, turning on his heel and running away before she could get a chance to stop him.

'COWARD!' She screeched, knowing that he probably didn't even hear her.

She turned back to the mob of people and plunged in, immediately earning an elbow to the head. She pushed past nevertheless, the stink making her eyes water. She could scarcely move, instead relying on the crowd to push her forwards. More than once, she got shouted at by a burly man clutching a robot for being in the way. She pushed past a woman with one eye and caught a glimpse of Tadashi's jacket. She let out a screeching sound and tried to dive for him, accidentally smacking someone in the face.

'WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?' He roared loudly, breath reeking of alcohol. A woman next to him laughed loudly and tried to grab her hair, but Rena managed to twist out of the way just in time. The man swung his fist at her but missed poorly, hitting another man instead. A small brawl broke out, punches and kicks being thrown everywhere she looked. She yelled and dropped to her knees, crawling along the filthy floor and unsuccessfully trying not to gag.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed her elbow and she shrieked attempting to bat it away. Someone pulled her to her feet and she was relieved to be met with Tadashi's anxious eyes on her.

'WHY DID YOU DISAPPEAR?!' She yelled loudly, smacking him on the arm.

'BECAUSE WE NEED TO FIND HIM!' He yelled back, narrowly missing a swing to the head. 'The HELL is going on?!'

'I started a fight! I think.' Rena replied nervously. Tadashi grabbed her sleeve and they shoved through the mob, no longer caring about being gentle.

'Where's Brian?'

'Ditched us!'

'After all that!'

Suddenly, a loud voice rang out. 'TWO MINUTES UNTIL FIGHT TIME! PLACE YOUR BETS NOW!'

'FUCK!' Tadashi exclaimed loudly, standing on his tiptoes and craning his neck over the crowd. 'It's no use! We're never gonna find him in two minutes!'

'We might if we're closer to the ring!' Rena replied, 'come on!'

She gripped his hand and pulled him along, careful not to accidentally smack anyone this time. As they got closer to the ring, she spotted Yama stood talking to a group of thugs. His immense form towered over everyone else, a menacing looking robot clutched in his ham-like fist. Rena swallowed and pulled her brother along until they were right at the edge of the ring, squeezed together in a corner. Her back was pressed against Tadashi's side and she was uncomfortably close to Yama, but at least she could see what was going on.

Tadashi squeezed her hand and lowered his head until he was speaking next to her ear. 'What are we gonna do?'

Rena watched anxiously as Yama turned and sat down, placing his bot in front of him with a huge clang. He cracked his knuckles and smirked evilly.

'I don't-'

Hiro emerged from the crowd and shook his hair out from his eyes. Rena's heart was hammering in her chest as she stared at him. He didn't look nervous, nor did he look confident. He merely looked bored. He strode over to a tall woman and placed a handsome sum of money on the tray in front of her. The woman slammed the lid down and Hiro strode back over to Yama.

'Scared Zero?'

'You wish.'

'Rena,' Tadashi breathed, 'what the fuck are we gonna do?'

'I have no idea.'

Rena watched in horror as the woman stepped forward with an umbrella. Hiro placed his robot down, a small smirk on his face.

'Fighters ready?'

The room was almost silent, all eyes on the teen and beefy man in the ring.

In one fluid motion, she lifted the umbrella into the air and in the loudest voice Rena had ever heard anyone use-

'FIGHT!'