Someone's at the principal's office again, and there is a heated debate going on right now.

Inside the office, two women are arguing at one another…well, more like, one of the women is yelling, while the other is trying to handle this situation calmly. The yelling woman is of Asian descent with black hair cut short to the nape, and brown eyes glaring daggers at the other woman. The other woman was a tall, Latin woman with long blonde hair and green eyes glaring back at her.

Next to them are two bruised kids. One of them is a nine-year-old girl of Asian descent like her mother. She has long black hair, going down a little past her shoulders, and has a bruised left eye, a broken nose, and a chipped tooth. The other is an eight-year-old boy who is a mix of Japanese/Caucasian, with blackish-brown hair, brown eyes and has a swollen left cheek.

The boy on the right is named Esai Flores, while the girl on the left is named Emma Tomago. The two of them have just gotten into ANOTHER one of their altercations that ended up much worse than usual.

*Flashback*

Esai was pushed into the ground by a laughing Emma, face-planted onto the pavement.

"That's what you get for trying to tattle-tale on me!" she said. Esai groaned as he got up, looking at her with an angry look.

"Why do you hate me so much?! Was it because I am smarter than you?!" he shouted. Emma balled her hands into fists as she screamed at him.

"You were the one who stole my toy from me! I want it back right now!" she cried out. Esai narrowed his eyes at her and balled his hands into fists as well.

"What are you talking about?! I didn't steal your toy!" he replied, threateningly. At this point, the other kids nearby were drawn to the commotion, and surrounded them, all of them chanting,

"Fight! Fight! Fight!"

Emma grinned and made a noise akin to her cracking her fists as she made a motion similar to the act.

"It seems like that's what they want, loser." she taunted at the younger boy.

This made Esai scream as he launched at the older girl, pushing her to the ground, and before anyone knew it, fists, kicks and even bites were thrown about. Sooner or later, the nearby coach from a P.E. class that was taking place outside rushed over and had to intervene, before she dragged them back inside to the class, much to the surrounding kids' dismay.

*Flashback ended*

Esai's mother, Alba Flores, was trying to sooth down the other mother, named Ji-Yeong Tomago.

"Now, Ji-Yeong, you've GOT to calm down. You're only making the situation worse." Alba said, though her brows are furrowing at this immaturity of this woman. Ji-Yeong, however, didn't want to.

"Are you seeing my daughter's condition?! He just chipped out one of her teeth!" she exclaimed. Alba nodded.

"I know, but that was in an act of self-defense! She was the one picking on him, and you have the GALL to say that it was my SON'S fault?!" she said.

As the principal stood up and attempted to try and defuse the whole situation, Emma and Esai looked at each other. Their eyes narrowed as they glared. Emma sighed through her nose, and just looked away, wrapping her arms around herself. Esai did the same as he looked at his mother.

"N-Now, I'm not saying that what my daughter did is excusable. However, him hurting my daughter is not the way to get his point across!" she argued. Alba then shook her head, pinching the bridge of her nose. Then, her eyes perked up as a question came into her mind.

"I know, I know. But…do you even know WHY your daughter bullies my son?" she asked, growing curious. Ji-Yeong raised a brow, and after processing the question for a moment, nodded in agreement before turning to Emma. Emma was slightly cowering at her mother's glare.

"Yeah…why were you picking on him?" she asked. Emma gulped, and looked at the floor, while Esai scoffed.

"Yeah. Good luck trying to get it out of her. I have been asking her the SAME question, for the past, 3 DAYS." he emphasized. The two mothers and the principal looked at him, and then at Emma. Emma was visibly intimidated, yet she didn't look at either of them in the eyes. Ji-Yeong walked over to her and knelt to her height.

"Emma, why were you bullying him?" she asked. Emma looked at her, and then at Esai. With a low voice, she responded to the question with,

"Because he stole my toy."

Esai and the others looked at her, taken aback by this. Esai furrowed his brows and crossed his arms.

"I did NOT steal your toy!" he shouted back. Emma turned away from her mother and shouted back at him.

"Yes, you did! I saw you; you picked up my T. Rex toy at the playground!" she replied. Esai looked at her, a bit confused for a moment before he widened his eyes at the memory.

"Oh, you mean that green T. Rex toy?! I didn't know it was yours! I thought it belonged to another boy!" he replied. Emma growled and balled her hands into fists again.

"I want it back!" she called out. Esai, however, crossed his arms.

"Well, too bad! Finders, keepers; losers, weepers!" he retorted. Emma growled, and it looks like the two of them are about to fight again when their mothers intervened and pulled them apart!

"Alright! Enough!" called out the principal, standing up abruptly and slamming his hands on the desk, causing all of them to gasp in place, flinching in shock. The principal looked at them, eyes glaring at them, before he sighed to himself, sitting back down.

"Alright, then. You two do not have the maturity to deal with a problem like this. So now, you will be punished severely. Esai," he began, looking at the boy.

"For stealing someone else's toy and throwing the first punch; you will have a three-week suspension from class." he began. Esai flinched at this and looked down in shame. Emma looked at him with a victorious smug on her face. The principal then looked at her with a similar glare.

"As for YOU, young lady, you're in even bigger trouble. For bullying someone for three days instead of reporting this to the staff, and going after the boy when he, justifiably, tries to report your behavior; you'll be expelled from this school." he stated. Emma and Ji-Yeong were taken aback, and even Esai and Alba were stunned by this.

"W-What? Oh, please, Principal Robinson! Give me another chance!" pleaded Emma, tears streaming down. Ji-Yeong joined her in on the pleading.

"Please, Principal Robinson. I-I know my daughter messed up, and I promise to punish her properly when we get back, b-but you can't expel her!" she pleaded, clasping her hands together.

As they argued with the principal, Esai looked at the two of them, and then at Alba. Alba was looking at him with disappointment. Esai looked down in shame, knowing that he let his family down.

Later on, Esai and Alba were in the latter's car, driving along the streets of the city of San Fransokyo. Esai was laying his head on the edge of the door, looking out at the city, noticing the rather beautiful buildings reflecting the bright sunlight. He could also see flying blimps English and Japanese slogans on the sides.

However, Esai was not in the mood to admire the beauty. He looked at Alba, who was still carrying a disappointed look. The two of them sat there, not saying anything before the car was forced to stop at a traffic light.

Alba took the chance and looked at him.

"Esai…where is that toy you took?" she asked, sounding sad rather than firm. Esai looked at her and gulped.

"In my room; on the top shelf near the Indominus Rex. Why?" he asked. Alba was about to say something else…but she shook her head, changing her mind.

"Never mind. What happened, happened. I don't know where the woman lives, so we can't return it…Why didn't you take it to the Lost and Found?" she asked. Esai looked down, not feeling like explaining, for he was afraid that he would sound selfish. Alba, however, was not willing to let the silent treatment get in the way.

"Esai; talk to me. How can I understand what you were thinking if you won't talk to me?" she asked, persisting. Esai turned his eyes to her and sighed.

"I…I thought it looked cool. A-And no one was looking for it. B-But it wasn't my fault; I didn't think that someone would go and look for it! P-plus, she was bullying me! If she had asked nicely, I would've returned it! But not only did she NOT, she didn't even give me a reason as to why she was bullying me until the day of the fight!" he explained, trying to defend himself.

Alba raised her right hand and gently placed her thumb on his lips, silencing him. She then looked at him sympathetically, yet sternly.

"I understand. Emma didn't have the right to bully you like that, especially without reason, and you had no idea that it was hers. However; the fact of the matter is, you stole it. That's still unacceptable." she scolded. Esai pouted to himself and sighed through his nose. Alba looked at him, and sighed to herself, shaking her head as the light turns green, allowing her to drive ahead.

Soon, they have arrived at their home, located at the Potrero Street in the Mission district of San Fransokyo. Their house is rather small, around two stories tall, with a pool and playground in the green backyard. Of course, since it is Autumn at this time, the pool is closed off with a thick sheet to prevent leaves from falling inside. The playground has two sets of swings and a slide. There are also a lot of flowers, including Birds of Paradise and a Magnolia tree.

Alba opened the garage door and parked her car inside. She then opened the door, stepping outside while leaving the car on, and towards the door, entering inside. Esai stayed behind for a while longer before he eventually followed after her.

They entered inside, and Esai was greeted by two pugs; Basco and Otis. Esai gave a soft smile and gently scratched the back of their heads.

The family has only gotten the two pugs recently, because Esai is often left alone; Honey Lemon has moved to an apartment with one of her friends (because apparently, her previous apartment was frozen over from a chemical accident ('seriously, what's with the girl?' Esai would think sometimes.)), his other mother, Elizabeth, has to work at a restaurant called the Lucky Cat Café at the Haight-Ashbury District, on the other side of the city, and Alba…well, she also has a part-time job as a pet-sitter. His family is almost poor, and they spent a lot of it funding for Honey Lemon's attendance at SFIT. Sure, she had started an online boutique store to help out, but it wasn't enough.

Speaking of Alba and her pet-sitting duties, she patted him on the arm, causing Esai to look at her. Now she is holding a pack of ice for his bruised cheek.

"I have to go back to my job, okay? We'll discuss what to do with you later on tonight. Okay?" she asked, making Esai take the ice bag. Esai looked at her, and nodded with a saddened sigh, placing the bag on his cheek. Alba looked at him for a while, before she shook her head and hugged him.

"I still love you, little one. Always have, and always will." She assured softly, kissing him on the head. Esai nodded.

"Yeah. I know." he replied, his response muffled from the hug. Alba sighed at this response and frowned, and gently pulled back. Then, she opened the door leading back into the garage and closed it.

Esai could then hear the car driving up, and the garage door closing up, leaving him alone with the two dogs. Basco and Otis, however, looked at one another, barking before they began to wrestle with one another. Esai looked at them and sighed in sadness as he prepared to walk up to his room.

Brrr. Brrr.

Esai turned to the table counter looking into the kitchen and noticed Alba's phone. He raised a brow as he approached the phone.

"Hm, she must've forgotten her phone." he said to himself as he picked up the phone to see who it was calling. To his delight; it was a picture of his older sister; Luciana Flores, or Honey Lemon. He grew a smile, beaming with happiness again as he pressed a button and swiped it sideways, before he moved the phone close to his right ear, so the bag doesn't interfere with the call.

"Hi, Lucy!" he greeted, calling her by her lesser-known nickname. There was a moment of silence, before a throat-clearing sound. Esai's smile faltered for a moment before he heard,

"Um, Esai…your ear is on the screen."

Esai raised a brow in confusion.

"Um, yeah. It's a phone." he replied.

There was a soft chuckle, before,

"This is a video chat, not a regular phone call." she replied. Esai pulled his head back and moved the phone to his view. There, he could see a giggling twenty-two-year-old blonde girl with a yellow shirt and warm jacket. Esai chuckled as well.

"Hola, tu tonto Velociraptor." Honey Lemon greeted. Esai giggled back.

"Hola, jirafa." he teased, referring to her height. This made Honey Lemon pout.

"I'm not that ta-" she began before her eyes moved to his left cheek, and her eyes began to bulge out in concern.

"Esai, what happened?!" she asked, almost shrieking! This caused her to drop her phone. Esai looked at the screen, confused for a moment. Then, as his fingers twitched on the bag, he remembered. With a sigh, he looked on as Honey adjusts her phone to hold it in place so it doesn't fall again. In addition to this, several other voices are talking to her off-screen.

"Hey, HL. Why'd you scream like that?" asked a voice.

"You saw one of those nasty cockroaches? Guhuhuh…those things suck." went another voice. Then there was another scoff.

"Woman up, Wasabi." another female voice replied. Honey shook her head and pointed to the camera.

"Sorry about that. I was talking to my little brother, here." she said. There was a collective 'oh' from off-screen, only for someone else to walk over beside her and into view. Esai did a take-back.

This man is around the same age as Honey but is tall and rather shaggy, light brown hair and blue eyes with an overall unkempt appearance. He is also wearing a teal hat with a monster's face.

This is one of Honey's friends, Fred.

Fred looked at Esai and smiled.

"Ooh, you never told us you had a brother, Honey Lemon. He's pretty adorable!" he said, smiling at him rather innocently. Esai, weirded out by this man, raised a brow.

"Um…Lucy, is that your boyfriend? Why does he look like a hippie?" he asked.

Honey cringed, while Fred just laughed.

"Ooh, a hippie. Don't worry, little fella. I'm not a hippie." he assured. Honey sighed to herself as she looked at Fred, a forced smile on her face.

"Um…Freddie? Would you mind…leaving us alone for a minute? This is, um…this is a family thing, here." she said, pointing to the phone. Fred pouted for a moment.

"Aw, man. I want to meet the little guy." he pouted. Then, two arms; one large and black, and the other with motorcycle gloves appeared on Fred's shoulders and pulled him away. Fred yelped as he reached his arms outwards.

"Come on, Fred. Give the two some space." said the male voice. The female voice added,

"Maybe Hiro has something that will take your mind off of the boy."

Honey chuckled at seeing her friends take Fred away before she then looked at Esai, who was looking at the direction they went.

"Um…who were they?" he asked. Honey placed her hands on the tables with a smile.

"Those are my friends that I've been telling you about for years." she replied. Esai released an 'oh' sound, nodding. Honey then grew a frown as she then leaned into the phone.

"Esai, what happened? Why are you back home so soon?" she asked, growing concerned for her little brother. Esai frowned at this, and gulped before he began an explanation.

"I…got in trouble at school for fighting a bully." he explained. Honey gritted her teeth in sympathy. Esai continued,

"This girl got upset because I took her toy that she lost. I didn't even know it was hers." he said.

Honey raised a brow for a moment, then a memory clicked in her mind.

"Wait, is it that T. Rex toy meemaa sent a photo of?" she asked, remembering that green T. Rex in a roaring posture, standing on the carpet floor. Esai nodded. Honey sighed and pouted.

"Sorry to hear that. Wait, what did you do with the girl? Did you say you were going to give it back?" she asked, hoping that what she feared wasn't what actually happened.

Esai shook his head.

"Nope. At first; I ignored her, but her bullying got tiresome after three days." He began. Honey widened her eyes.

"Three days?!" she asked in surprise. Esai nodded.

"Yep. And then when I tried to tell on her, she shoved me to the ground…and then we started fighting." he explained. He gulped as he looked down.

"Then, we shouted even while momma and the bully's mom were at the principal's office. I said to her, 'Finders, Keepers; Losers, Weepers.' and that's what made everything worse. At the end of it, the principal punished us. For HER, she got expelled. ME…I got a three-week suspension." he muttered the last part sadly.

Honey sighed in disappointment, shaking her head.

"Oh, Esai…" she said softly. Esai pouted; he remembered very clearly that tone of voice she uses whenever he does something that is disapproval.

"Lucy, it's not my fault. I had no idea that," he began, but Honey raised her left hand.

"Don't give me that, Esai. You went ahead and kept a toy for yourself, instead of taking it to the 'Lost and Found'." she scolded. Esai pouted.

"B-But it looked so cool." he replied, trying to come up with an excuse. Honey shook her head again.

"It doesn't matter. It doesn't belong to you." she continued.

Esai sighed, his expression now growing sadder. Honey looked at this, and then sighed.

"Esai…I'm not saying you're ENTIRELY at fault. That girl…what was her name?" she asked.

"Emma Tomago." he replied. Honey nodded.

"Thanks. Anyways, what Emma did, was STILL not acceptable. She had no right to touch you like that. And I, honestly, cannot forgive her for doing such a thing." she assured. Esai looked at her, and gave a small smile, before frowning again.

"Luciana…why do these things happen?" he asked. Honey shook her head.

"I don't know, cariño. Sometimes, people do things that don't always make sense. And the worse part is; this is growing more and more common." she explained, running her hand through her hair.

"It is?" asked Esai. Honey nodded.

"There is a news report stating that crime levels have been increasing as of late. Like I said; not sure why." she explained sadly. Esai pouted, but then his eyes perked up.

"W-What about this 'Big Hero 6' team? They're getting the job done, right?" he asked. Honey nodded, knowing exactly what he meant;

Not long ago, a superhero team known as Big Hero 6 was formed when a man in a Kabuki mask known as Yokai, plans to open up a portal above Krei-Tech. He hasn't succeeded, and the team apprehended the man, who was revealed to be known as former SFIT Professor, Robert Callaghan. And they have protected the city since then, aside from an occasional mishap.

"True; Big Hero 6 has been saving our city for a while now, and I am truly grateful for that…but it won't be enough if people don't learn from this." she said. Esai looked at her, and growing a bit sad, then asked.

"Are you saying that…crime isn't going away? All the robbery, bullying, and attacks?" he asked. Honey then shook her head after a while.

"No. I'm afraid not." she said.

Hearing this, made Esai's heart drop. He knew bullying was a crime, but if crime will never truly go away…then what is the point of fighting crime? If bad people never go away…then why keep risking your lives?

"Then…why?" he asked, sounding incredibly upset by the news. Honey tilted her head in confusion.

"What do you mean, why?" she asked. Esai looked at her, and as tears were beginning to spill, he asked,

"Why do they keep fighting? If crime never goes away, then why would Big Hero 6 waste their time fighting them? From what you explained, preventing all types of crime; robberies, attacks, and even bullying is a part of normal life! So how can they, or anyone else fighting for the law keep doing so if more are gonna come out?!" he asked, almost shouting.

Honey raised her hands and motioned them downwards.

"Esai, please calm down!" she said. Esai sighed and wiped away a tear, sniffling. Honey looked at him in sadness, before she took in a breath, reaching out as if she wanted to touch him, even though they are in different locations.

"Esai, I understand your reasoning for thinking like that. But we can't think like that. If we don't keep fighting them, then it will be anarchy. Many innocent people will die." she explained. Esai gulped as he wiped his nose with his wrist.

"T-Then what about those who might grow up to be criminals? You know some people will do anything to get attention, Lucy." he asked. Honey smiled warmly, and seeing this, made Esai remind him of when they were little; whenever Honey would be there to comfort him whenever a lighting storm passes by, or whenever he had a nightmare, or whenever he had a cut.

"We guide them, Esai. We show the people how to stand up against bad people. We can teach them how to do the right things. If we put our minds into it, we can have more good than bad people and make this world a brighter place." she reasoned warmly. Esai looked at her, and feeling touched by her words, he then smiled.

"D-Do you think I can do it too, Lucy?" he asked. Honey giggled as she leaned closer to the screen. Esai did the same in order to hear her words.

"Esai Flores…out of everyone in this world that I have met; you might have the highest potential to change the world for the better." she began. Esai allowed her words to sink in as she continues her words;

"I saw how you work when we were little. You were so compassionate, and so curious about the world, that you even tried to read text that are beyond what you can understand. Not saying you can't, just…but that's beside the point. Esai…you have the power the change everything for society. All you need is some guidance, willpower, and most importantly… empathy." she explained.

Esai looked at her, with confusion in his face.

"Huh?" he asked. Honey giggled.

"Empathy; when you can understand and share how others feel from an emotional standpoint." she explained. Esai raised a brow.

"How will that help?" he asked.

Honey shook her head as she took in another deep breath.

"Let me put it this way; do you remember the times when I was upset?" she asked. Esai pondered for a moment, before a memory flashed into his mind.

*Flashback*

A couple of months prior, Esai was walking across the hallway when he hears sniffling coming from downstairs. Curiosity got the better of him, and he walked downstairs.

Once he arrived downstairs, he was surprised to see Honey and the two moms huddling one another. He approached them and tilted his head in confusion.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Honey, Alba, and Elizabeth looked at him, and they just continued crying.

"Esai…it's one of Honey's friends." Alba began. Esai raised a brow in confusion.

"What about them?" he asked. Honey gulped, and even though it was difficult, she explained it to him.

"T-There was a fire at…at the Expo hall…T-Tadashi went inside b-because his professor was in there…he…he…" she couldn't finish what she has in mind, before she broke down into tears, burying her face in her hands, causing her glasses to fall.

Esai walked over, and the closer he got, the more he felt something in the air around him. It feels…very saddening, and mournful. It made him want to cry as well. That, coupled with seeing his family crying, was too much for him.

So, he approached Honey Lemon and hugged her legs. Honey and the two moms looked at him, the latter two's hearts melting with joy.

"Please, Lucy…please don't cry…" he whimpered out, tears of his streaming outwards. This made Honey's heart melt as well. She then lifted him up – with surprising strength – and held him closer to her, and she sobbed, hugging her little brother closer to her.

*Flashback ends*

"Oh, yeah…that was the night one of your friends died, right. Um…what was his name?" he asked. Honey nodded and gulped.

"Yeah. His name was Tadashi Hamada." she said. Esai nodded in understanding. Honey then added,

"Do you remembering feeling the air growing…sad?" she asked. Esai looked at her, and nodded.

"Yeah. I felt like I was about to cry just because you were crying the most." he explained. Honey nodded again with a smile.

"That's correct, Esai. You felt empathy around that time." she said. Esai perked up in confusion.

"That was empathy? Hm, then it shouldn't be difficult then." he said. Honey chuckled, but then responded with,

"Oh, Esai. If only it were that simple. Sadly, not everyone feels empathy like we do…some don't even feel empathy at all." she said with a broken smile. Esai frowned.

"Oh…why is that, Lucy?" he asked. Honey shrugged.

"It may be due to genetics, or even how they were raised. BUT, with how technology is progressing, we can find ways to make them feel empathy like the rest of us. Then, and only then, will the world be bright and happy." she said warmly. Esai's heart fluttered at this, and then he asked,

"Is that what Big Hero 6 is doing? Do you think I can help as well?" he asked, face growing brighter with a smile. Honey giggled at seeing this, but her heart was fluttering at seeing her little brother so happy again, especially after what happened.

"Well, of course! Remember this; you are far more than what you are right now. You just need the guidance, willpower, and empathy, like I said" she cooed softly, as a mother would to her child.

Esai smiled at this, and tears fell from the eyes again, but this time; they were tears of joy.

"I…I love you, Luciana." he replied. Honey chuckled as well, moving her glasses out of the way to wipe another tear from her.

"I love you too, Esai Flores. You are one of the most precious souls in this world. From the day you were born, till the day one of us dies, you will always hold a special place in the hearts of our parents, our other family members, the rest of the world, and more importantly… myself." she finished.

Brr. Brr.

Honey and Esai heard a buzzing, and the former grinned sadly.

"I have to get to class. Love you, little one." she said as she got up, picking her phone up. Esai smiled with a nod.

"Love you too, giraffe." he said. Honey pouted, but it was friendly pout.

"I'm not that tall." she said, before breaking into a giggle. Esai giggled as well.

"Bye." the two of them said as one before they stopped the video chat. Esai stood there, a smile on his face. Talking with his big sister made him feel much better. He loves his two mothers, don't get me wrong, but there is something about his sister that makes the two of them relate more.

With a happy smile, Esai walked back upstairs to his room, knowing that he will be punished for this by his mothers, but he didn't care in the end. He felt better, and that's all that matters in his eyes.

AN: Hey everyone, superkoola here.

Here we have another chapter of Empathy out of the way! For those following me for a long time; you noticed a major change in this story when it comes to my OCs.

Yep, I'm referring to Emma! I wanted her to be a bully this time to build some conflict of trust between Esai and her older sister, Ethel 'Gogo' Tomago! As for Daniel…well, we won't see him in this story!

As for Esai's high IQ…we'll get to that soon!

That's all I have to say for now