Chapter Thirteen
Hiro can't help but look over at Tadashi as they make their way to the island. "You alright bro?"
Tadashi merely nodded his head. Almost there. They were almost there. God…who knows what kind of hell Masashi must be going through in that place he thinks. Another migraine kicks in but that is the least of his concerns now.
Hiro frowns thoughtfully, rubbing his brother's back. "I-I know what you're thinking. But we WILL get Masashi back alright?" He nodded to their friends riding on a wave of Microbots below. Fred doing a rather amusing Titanic style pose. "He's going to be alright."
"Yeah I know…how about we team up and kick Ackerman in the jewels though at the same time?"
"Oh I'd like that. I'd really like that." Hiro snickers at the thought.
Before long they had made it to Akuma Island. Wasabi looked around as the team started to get was a large "QUARANTINE: KEEP OUT" sign on one of the fences. "Quarantine? Do you guys KNOW what that is?"
Baymax held up a finger. "Quarantine, enforced isolation to prevent the spread of disease or in some cases… Death."
"Oh and this one has a skull face… A skull face!"
"Careful Sabi: Your 'Lady side' is showing thyself." Tadashi rolled his eyes.
But as soon as a sound was heard everyone started using their weapons. Baymax fired his lasers. Fred using the flamethrower. Gogo and Honey throwing disks and chemical balls. Wasabi looking for anything to slice. Tadashi ordered Hiro to get behind him, clapping his hand once on his arm creating a mechanical blade. When they saw it was only a pigeon though…crickets sounded.
"... Wow… All that over a pigeon?"
"Just…shut up Hiro."
"Seven intrepid friends, lead by Fred their leader, Fred… Fred's angels." Fred started humming after Wasabi cut a hole through the wall. Hiro actually started bobbing his head along but slapped himself to snap out of it.
Do NOT encourage him!
"With the ancient amulet they found in the attic." Fred continued as Wasabi felt his eye twitch.
"The amulet is green!"
"It's probably an Emerald."
"Ahem!" Tadashi clears his throat giving Hiro that 'Stern older brother' look he knew all too well. "Hey. Trying to find our friend here and catch a psycho professor remember?"
"R-Right…sorry Dashi." Hiro curiously glances up at Baymax. "Hey. Baymax, do you think you can track Masashi or Ackerman?"
"This structure is rendering my super scanner as you would put it… Useless."
"Great the robot's broken." Wasabi face palmed.
Honey stopped near an open door. She gasped as she looked in. "Guys… You need to see this…" Pieces of metal and machinery laid about all over the room. Hiro shudders as he notices the blood on the gurney, remembering Masashi seeing something similar. Someone was working on a live person.
"Just what is Ackerman planning with all of this?" Tadashi mutters.
Everyone soon hides for cover at the sound of a very familiar noise. Peeking out, they look to see the man in question walking out…Masashi struggling trying to pull out of his grip he has around his wrist. "Masashi!" Tadashi and Hiro both whisper lowly only to have Gogo and Wasabi slap a hand over each of their mouths to silence them.
Masashi looks to be…a mess. He has a black eye, busted lip and his shirt looks ripped with blood stains on it. A shallow cut on his shoulder.
No. No he's alive…he's still alive at least! God I'm so close I can almost touch him… if only…
"Hiro? Tadashi?" Honey whispered.
"What's the plan Hamada bros?" Wasabi chimed.
"Get the mask!"
They all jump out of their hiding spot. Ackerman instantly turns around, snarling when they reveal themselves and Masashi's eyes widen at the sight of them. "You guys!" He exclaims. Glaring up at Ackerman, he clenches his mechanical free hand, raises it up and socks him in the jaw pleased to hear a satisfying crack, dodging past the other man and runs back reuniting to his friends who pull him into a group hug.
"MASASHI!"
"Oh thank goodness you're okay!"
"We were worried sick bro!"
A hoarse laugh from all the screaming he had done in his dungeon sounded, grinning at each of them rubbing the back of his neck. "Y-Yeah. Sorry for worrying you all…I'm sore as hell but I'm alive. Right?"
He's surprised when Tadashi pulls him in a warm embrace, looking down at him with those soft brown eyes he loved so much…
"Yes." Tadashi whispered. "It's…It's amazing to have you back."
Ackerman snarls at the scene after rubbing his aching jaw. "You…I thought I disposed of you. And your pathetic robot."
Hiro holds up his hands as his microbots swarm behind him. Ready to attack at any moment. "You thought wrong Acker-Creep."
Ackerman's eyes narrow dangerously, lunges forward, drawing out his sword. Wasabi tried to deflect it with his blades, but he was too stunned to realize it had no effect at all against the sword. "Wasabi: Don't tell me you forgot I'm the one who helped you with that laser."
Fred makes a leap for Ackerman. "Super Jump! Gravity Crush!" The former professor gives a simple wave of his hand using the original microbots and side swipes Fred out of the way. "Falling haaard!"
Ackerman focuses his attention on Tadashi and Masashi next. Making a charge for the both of them, his blade drawn. Tadashi had his mechanical blade out and Masashi his mechanical arm when a flash of purple and red appear before them. A CLANK sounds around the room. "Don't you dare touch my brother or my friend!" Hiro hollered, jumping from Baymax's back as the robot defends them with his arm. He kicks the man hard in the back.
Ackerman stumbled forward, using another wave of microbots descending upon the Hamada brothers and Masashi. Tadashi, Hiro and Masashi try to use their own attacks but nothing seems to be having an effect on either of them. "C'mon guys keep it together!" Tadashi barked, but he to seemed to be losing control over the microbots.
"It's not as easy as it seems y'know!" Masashi snapped back, ducking and dodging even slamming a few out of the way with his mechanical arm.
"What's the plan now?" Wasabi shouted.
"Get the mask!"
Tadashi claps his hands turning his arm into a mechanical blade lunging for Ackerman. As soon as he tackles him to the ground and the mask comes off, his eyes are blazing. Just seeing him…seeing the man who caused his friends and Masashi so much pain and suffering. Sweat trickles down the side of his head as he lowers the blade closer and closer to his jugular.
"TADASHI!"
Looking up, he hears his friends call out to him in panic. Fear is etched across each of their faces as they see the rage in his eyes. "What?" He breathes out. "Isn't this what we want? Masashi: He tried to murder you and I in that fire. Almost…He almost took your innocence."
Masashi takes some bold steps forward. A stoic expression on his face, kneeling down beside Tadashi who still has his blade dangerously close to Ackerman's neck. He knows how Tadashi feels. Without a doubt. But the thought of Tadashi murdering someone even a person who caused others harm…the thought was too much for Masashi or any of them to handle. "I know how you're feeling Tadashi…believe me. But killing Ackerman, we won't be any better than him will we? Will it really erase all the pain? All the hardship he put us through?"
Tadashi snarls under his breath, looking down at Ackerman who's smirking up at him. Daring him to slit his throat. Sighing heavily, he finally stands up but as soon as Ackerman called them all 'Pathetic fools' something inside of him snapped. With his fists clenched, pushing Masashi out of the way as he goes over to Baymax, ignoring Hiro asking what he thought he was doing he takes out his green healthcare chip replacing it with the red attack one.
He throws the green card aside as if it were garbage which Masashi catches clumsily in his hands. He's petrified at what Tadashi is about to do. "Tadashi! Tadashi don't-." Masashi and Hiro both try stopping him but he pounds the Vengeance card closed.
Baymax's optics are now a deadly red. The robot makes his way over towards Ackerman who tries scrambling out of its way. Gogo had tried to stop Baymax first but his massive strength throws her against the wall with ease.
Masashi jumps on his back, wrapping his arms around the robot's neck but he too is thrown off and into the wall where Gogo was. A searing pain shoots up his lower back as he grits his teeth trying to stand back up. Gripping the card tight in his hand, he calls out Honey Lemon's name throwing the card in her direction relieved that she actually manages to catch it.
Honey catches the card and pushes through everyone trying to stop Baymax. Ackerman was almost blown to bits by Baymax's laser from the shaft but fortunately for him, the robot returns back to the real Baymax.
Baymax looks around to see all the group distressed," My healthcare protocol has been violated." Baymax said as he helps a shaken Fred to his feet. " I am sorry for any distress I may have caused."
"What were you guys thinking?!" Tadashi snaps, throwing his arms up. "You're just going to let him get away?!"
"What you just did, we didn't sign up for this." Wasabi bitterly replies.
"You guys said we capture him. That's it!" Gogo snapped in return, echoing Hiro's words.
"We never should have let you help us." Tadashi growled out.
"Tadashi that's enough." Masashi replied, perhaps a bit harsher than he intended to sound. With Hiro and Honey's help, he managed to get back on his feet muttering a 'thanks' to the both of them. "Come on…let's all re-group back at Fred's mansion. And rest for a while…cool our heads."
"Sounds like a plan to me," Honey nodded. "Besides, we really should check your injuries out."
"Right. Let's get going!"
Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Before long they were back at Fred's mansion. Honey Lemon had been treating Masashi and the only ones allowed in at the moment were Tadashi and Hiro. Baymax turned one of the rooms into a makeshift hospital for he and Honey to work on Masashi.
Tadashi was still brooding over two things: One being of the fact Ackerman got away and two…really. Just really what the hell was he thinking? Acting the way he did. He had apologized to Gogo and the guys, but knew Masashi may not be so 'forgiving' towards him.
Masashi had numerous scars on his chest, back and legs according to what Baymax had scanned and what they saw. It required multiple stitches unfortunately.
Ackerman…that sick minded-how could he do this to another human being? Tadashi and Hiro both thought, the eldest Hamada sibling gripping Masashi's hand throughout the stitching process.
"Baymax. Honey… H-He'll be okay…right?" Tadashi asked, looking up at the robot and Honey who smiled softly at him.
"Yes Tadashi. He'll be just fine. We checked for any other injuries that might be internal but we found none thank goodness…" She sighs with relief.
Baymax patted Tadashi's head affectionately and Hiro's making them and Masashi chuckle. "Yes. Masashi will be normal…he just needs time to heal. Emotional trauma may be present at some point in his life as well…"
"Thanks for taking care of me Baymax. And you to Honey." Masashi bows respectfully to both of them but winces after doing so.
After Honey and Baymax left it was just the three of them now. Huh. Isn't that funny? No matter what happens it always ends up with the three of us together somehow Tadashi thought, chuckling.
"Tadashi?"
He lifts his head up noting the concerned faces of Hiro and Masashi. "Are you alright bro?" Hiro asks.
"Yeah. Don't tell me you're losing your mind now."
"I'm not losing my mind," Tadashi rolls his eyes laughing softly. "I just…was thinking of something is all."
Masashi looks at himself in a mirror, frowning in thought at the burn scars on some of his face and Ackerman's scratches on his neck, chest and arms. "…Great. I look even more like a freak then before."
"Hey think of it this way," Hiro chimes in trying to make the situation somewhat light. "At least your scars may make you 'intimidating' to some people. Especially that bonehead Yama if he even dares to mess with us again."
Then before either of them can react, Masashi laughs. He laughs so hard tears are streaming down his face. Now Tadashi and Hiro are looking at HIM like he's lost his mind. But that's not the case. Not the case at all. The laughter gave him wonderful endorphins, just that one remark from Hiro was enough.
"I'm okay…" he chokes out, tears streaming down his face and that infamous grin of his that makes Hiro and Tadashi both grin in return. The Hamada brothers tried keeping it together, but it's not long before they start shedding their own tears of relief as they hug Masashi.
I'm okay…I'm really, really okay