Wasabi pulled up to the expo center. The van doors opening as he shut the vehicle off, Wasabi emerged from the drivers side, Fred from the passenger's side. Brains, Aunt Cass, Hiro, and Honey got out the back doors. Gogo, who chose to drive separate, pulled up beside them on her bike. Fred, who wasn't graduating because he didn't go to school at SFIT, was trying to hold back a laugh as hard as he could when Gogo pulled up. "Fred, just remember i do know where you live, and that Heathcliff likes me." She threatened as she dismounted and replaced the helmet for her cap. Fred let out a nervous chuckle. "So this is it, we're here." She looked to the expo hall, "Time to graduate and go on to boring working lives."

The cool wind blew against the group as no one answered, finally Hiro broke the silence. "I don't think anything we do in the future will be boring, not with what we have done already. We will go on to push the very boundaries of robotics, and other sciences." He dropped his head for a second, "That's what Callahan said to me to get me to go here. No matter what happened to him, i believe it's true." He raised his head smiling, but as he rose his head he didn't see the bright lights of the expo center, but a roaring blaze. His knees buckled for a second then he heard muffled voices, like he stuck his head in a pool of water. Than just as fast as it came on, it disappeared, he heard the voices of his friends slowly clear up into coherent words.

"Hiro, everything ok little man?" Wasabi spoke, his voice full of concern.

When Hiro didn't react Honey put a arm on his shoulder and leaned in close. "Hiro, are you ok?"

His Aunt Cass stood back and watched as the rest of his friends piled in, his thousand yard stare piercing through the darkness. She walked forward with a smile across her face. "Alright, back up. Give him some air will ya?" Everyone complied, she knelt down in front of his as he visibly shuddered, she spoke in a soft voice. "You saw the fire didn't you?"

"Ya, i did. It felt so real, i can still feel the heat on my skin."

"It's ok, sometimes i see something like that. It's just your body reminding you of the danger that was once here. It doesn't know that it's safe now.

"Thanks Aunt Cass." She nodded and stood up, "So where were we?"

"Just about to get our diplomas and go on to our boring lives." Gogo replied with a smile. "We better get inside and take our seats." Everyone continued on and into the building without words. The group split up to go sit in order by last name. Hiro sat down in the middle of two girls that seemed to know each other, they talked and laughed as Hiro approached.

He sat down without a word, they continued to talk over him. He tuned everything out and waited for the ceremony to start. But was pulled from his ignorant bliss by someone calling his name, he looked up to see the girl on his left looking at him and asking. "Your Hiro Hamada right?" Her voice was soft and warm, with a hint of flirtation.

"Y-Ya, that's me. W-Why do you ask?" He stuttered out.

"Because look at you, your graduating so early. You really must be smart." She slowly leaned closer with every few words, her voice being taken over by the flirtation. When he didn't reply she pressed on, "you must have a bright future ahead of you, what business have asked for you to join them."

"Would you drop it girl, he has a girlfriend." The girl on his right said, her voice stern and commanding, she stuck out her hand, "my names Kimiko. It's very nice to meet you."

Hiro shook it, "I suppose you already know me, but i'm Hiro. Are you a friend of Gogo?"

The unnamed girl all but burst into laughter, "Friend, Gogo, thats really fun. That girl drives people away like no other. I heard she finally got a boyfriend, after a long time of people thinking she was lesbian, and i heard it's some pipsqueak, two bit bot fighter." She went on laughing as anger slowly begun to build in Hiros gut.

He looked to Kimiko, "she your friend?" Kimiko nodded. "She's not very bright is she?" She stopped laughing and glared daggers into the back of Hiros head.

"You have no idea. Mika, have you ever met her, or her boyfriend?" Kimiko tilted her head, waiting for the inevitable.

"Now why would i do that? She might as well be a street rat, and for her boyfriend why should i care about some two bit bot fighter. Isn't that illegal anyway?" She tilted her head up, as if to say their both below her.

"Well you were trying to seduce him about 20 seconds ago." Kimiko sat back with a smile on her face. Mika tilted her head, Kimiko rolled her eyes and pointed to the boy in between them, whose face was getting noticeably redder.

Through gritted teeth Hiro spoke, "Hi, the name's Hiro Hamda, bot fighter, pipsqueak, and her boyfriend." He turned back to Kimko as everything slowly begun to click in the mean girls head. "What's your major?"

"Avionics, i plan to join the military and help the air force develop new tech." Hiro nodded toward her friend, "You not going to believe me if i tell you." He gave her a look that said 'try me'. "Particle physics."

Now it was Hiros turn to laugh hysterically, once he finally recovered he spoke, "you're kidding. That's great it truly is."

Mika grabbed his shoulder and pulled him around to face her. "You got a problem with girls in that line of work."

"No i have a problem with idiots in that line of work, haven't showed a single trait that would mean you're even of average intel-" His sentence was cut short by a hard slap to the cheek, but without faltering he continued. "-ligence, let alone that of a particle physicist. I think you would be more inclined to working downtown street corners." His sentence end was met by a harder slap that echoed in the room. Mika stood and walked away, Hiro looked to Kimiko, who looked back with her mouth agape. "What? She insulted my girlfriend."

"That was awesome, nobody does that. She normally just walks over people."

"I went to high school at the age of 13. I know how to deal with bullies."

"You just earned some major respect, trust me that's not going to go unnoticed." She leaned in a little closer, "Wow, she really got you with that slap, your cheeks already red."

Hiro leaned back, "Can't even feel it." The speakers crackled to life, and a man's voice came on over the loudspeaker.

"Welcome to the graduation celebration. We will begin shortly, everyone take your seats. We will be starting with the A's…."

I'm not writing in the ceremony, just think of a graduation, it's completely normal between this chapter and the next. Then it starts to get interesting.

Th3Ph4nt0miz3r: It's fine man, to be honest i past out after i posted it, so no harm no foul.