Preparations

Hiro could not believe what was happening. Unlike the fictional heroes Fred liked to read about in his comics, these were real, living legends, or at least two of them were. Hiro had seen them before on the news just after he'd graduated high school. He remembered it clearly because he was fascinated by the huge robot they had been fighting. Hiro had even considered modeling his first battle-bot after it, but he couldn't get the power he'd wanted out of the arms, so he went with his more simplified-yet-powerful model instead.

Anyway, he'd done a bit of research after the incident. It required some deep digging into some cold files, some minor (for him)hacking, but it had taken him about 20 minutes back then to get all the information he could on these heroes (Hiro though he could have done it in 5 today). Of course there wasn't really anything on the younger members, and the youngest wasn't even there then, but Hiro had been fascinated by what he'd found on the elder members, Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl.

As Hiro watched, yet another legend stepped through Julian's portal before it lost its glow. Hiro thought that Fred was going to have a heart attack as Frozone said, "Hey Bob? You weren't thinking of leaving me out of the action again, now were you? And does it always have to be water, Julian?"

As Frozone fired an ice blast that froze the stream up to the spigot, Julian said, "Sorry, but you know I need that to create my portals."

"Oh my god! You're Frozone, I can't believe it!" Fred practically squealed as he took Frozone's hand in both of his and shook it vigorously, "I am such a huge fan of your work, sir!"

"Uh, sure kid. Thanks," Frozone told Fred uncertainly, then he whispered into Mr. Incredible's ear, "Sorry about the slip-up there. I thought Julian was bringing us to somewhere private to prepare."

Mr. Incredible chuckles as he says, "It's okay, Lucius. We're all superheroes here."

"Really?" Frozone asked in surprised disbelief, "These kids?"

"Hey, our youngest member is about 10 or 11 years older than your youngest," GoGo countered, punctuating her sentence by popping her gum.

"Jack-Jack isn't really a member of the team, at least not yet," Elastigirl told them, superstretching her arms to grab the smallest one as he started to toddle off, "It's just impossible to find a sitter who we don't have to mind-wipe to forget that they'd just seen a toddler with super powers."

"Okay then, four years older," GoGo corrected herself.

"Hey, don't treat me like a kid! I'll have you know I'm 12 years old," the young boy who was barely breaching four and a half feet protested, then in a display of speed he dashed quickly to stop right in front of Go Go, waggling his eyebrows in a vaudeville-style show of appreciation as he added in an almost-smarmy voice, "going on 13."

"Ugh! Okay, two years older then. Happy now?" GoGo grunted as she used one arm to push the boy out of her personal space.

Julian chuckled as he said, "Anyway, what Mr. Incredible said was right: Despite their relative youth and inexperience, Big Hero 6 here truly are an accomplished group of heroes having, among other things, successfully averted disaster during the Krie Tech incident."

"Wait, these were those guys?" Frozone asked Julian, stunned, "These were the heroes who took down that creepy mask guy?"

"That 'creepy mask guy' was Professor Callaghan, and he happened to be our mentor," Wasabi growled as he glared at Frozone, then he sighed and his voice lost its heat as he continued, "and friend."

"I think that before we go much further that proper introductions are in order," Julian interjected, gesturing to each one in order, "Big Hero 6, I'd like to introduce you to The Incredibles, as well as their long time friend Frozone. Of course you've already been introduced to Mr. Incredible, and I'm sure Fred is already familiar with Elastilass, formerly known as Elastigirl."

Fred nodded vigorously, a huge smile on his face, as Elastilass rubbed the back of her head, explaining, "It just didn't feel too empowering to keep calling myself a 'girl' at my age."

Julian nodded understandingly, then he continued, "Then this young girl is called Transparengirl, due to her ability to turn transparent and create see-through forcefields, while this speedy young man is…"

The young man smiled proudly at GoGo as he interrupted, "I'm the Da…"

"…Lightning Lad," Julian continued, raising his voice to talk over the young speedster.

"Julian!" the young man protested, dashing over to look him in the eye, "I told you I wanted to be called the…"

"And I've already explained to you why you can't," Julian told him kindly, "Heroic names 101: never pick a crime-fighting alias that is close phonically to your actual secret identity, as it makes it easier for the bad guys to find out who you are and threaten you at home."

"Okay, but why can't I call myself the Flash instead?" the boy asked.

"Because that name's already taken," Julian chuckled, "Of course, technically Lightning Lad was too, but it's been years since that alias was used in any world, and I doubt that anyone would remember it now. And before you ask, you don't want to be calling yourself The Streak."

"Huh?" the boy asked in confusion, "Why not?"

Julian laughed openly as he answered, "Ask Ray Stevens."

The boy sighed in disappointment as he conceded, "Fine, Lightning Lad it is."

Julian smiled and tousled Lightning Lad's hair playfully, then he directed his attention to the kid in Elastilass' arms as he said, "Finally, while his mother is correct about Jack-Jack being too young to be officially part of the team, I believe when he's old enough that Changeling would be a good name for him."

"Changeling?" Elastilass asked Julian in confusion? "Why's that?"

"Because of his ability, of course," Julian told her simply, as if it should have been obvious.

Elastilass seemed to mull it over for a bit, the she said, "You're right, It does fit." She then turned to the child in her arms and began to tickle him until he was squealing with laughter, asking him, "How about you? Do you like the name Changeling? Huh? Do ya, do ya, do ya?"

Hiro chuckled at the delightful sounds of the child's laughter, even is spite of what they were about to face, and it seemed his feelings were not unique in this room. As Julian managed to catch his breath, he addressed those in the room once again, "So that takes care of our visitors' introductions, so I suppose I should begin familiarizing them with our local heroes. As I'm sure you could tell, Mr. Incredible, the young people making up Big Hero 6 aren't your average teenagers and 20-somethings. Each one is a genius in one field or another, save for Fred here, with their particular talents incorporated into their suit courtesy of young Hiro here."

"Wasabi here had created a laser-induced plasma grid, which Hiro had modified to take the form of wrist blades that can slice through just about anything," Julian pointed out, "Honey Lemon is an accomplished chemist. With the Chem-bag Hiro made for her she can whip up pretty much any compound she needs in seconds: from a hardening foam to restrain enemies to a cushioning gel to break otherwise painful falls, even a formula to turn the hardest of metal armor into a cloud of pink dust."

"GoGo is this team's speed demon, and she was incorporating the use of electro-magnetic suspension for use into bicycles, eliminating the resistance traditional axles and gears naturally have and increasing their top speeds. Hiro utilized that tech in her suit to enable her to skate around on those Mag-lev wheels at speeds that might even rival that of Kid Lightning here."

"Yeah right!" Kid Lightning scoffed in disbelief.

"It's possible in theory," Julian insisted, "Of course while she's an excellent athlete, she is only human and lacks your superhuman reflexes and ability to stop or turn on a dime. That makes her trying to achieve those speeds rather dangerous, so I guess we'll never know. Of course she can also use those disks as throwing weapons, which combined with her speed and maneuverability makes her a rather versatile fighter."

"In other words, I'm still the fastest," Kid Lightning confirmed smugly, though Hiro saw he eyed GoGo's disks with renewed interest.

"The remaining three members, Fred, Hiro and Baymax, don't exactly have proper hero names yet, but I imagine we can come up with something before this invasion's over," Julian continued.

"I've been thinking about that," Fred told them, "What do you guys think about…Fredzilla?"

"Lame," Wasabi commented.

"Weak," Go Go seconded.

"And it violates Heroic Names 101," Julian told him, "Besides, that suit of yours doesn't look much like a 'zilla' of any kind to me. How about something more fitting, like Triclops, because it has three eyes on it."

"Hmm, not bad," Fred complimented, " 'Beware the fury of Triclops!' I like it!"

"You say that this kid isn't super-smart like the others on this team?" Frozone asked Julian.

"That's correct" Julian confirmed, "He's basically a comic-book geek turned superhero."

"So then what does this kid contribute to the team?" Frozone pressed, "because right now he's striking me as a Pre-Syndrome Incrediboy."

Mr. Incredible chuckled and said, "If only you knew."

"What?" Frozone asked his old friend, "What am I missing?"

"I guess I can't blame you for not noticing the resemblance," Mr. Incredible told his friend, "considering how long it's been since we've seen the guy."

"Anyway, besides his boundless enthusiasm and his nimbleness he developed though his serving as the school mascot," Julian interrupted, "he's actually a pretty good fighter inside his suit, which was also provided by Hiro and gives Fred a super-jump and the ability to 'breathe fire'. Also, the funds he has access to through his family makes it possible for Hiro and his friends to get their hands on the materials they need for their heroic activities without drawing unwanted attention."

"Finally, you cannot talk about Baymax without talking about Hiro, and vice-versa," Julian continued, "Baymax was designed to be the ultimate healthcare robot by Hiro's brother Tadashi before his untimely demise. When Hiro learned that the fire that killed his brother may not have been an accident, that it may have been set deliberately by someone to hide the fact that they stole Hiro's microbots, Hiro upgraded Baymax with a fighting program as well as an armor that gives him flight, a rocket punch, and enhanced scanning capabilities. As for Hiro's own armor, the magnetic pads built into his suit allows him to ride into battle on Baymax's back without falling off, even when flying at top speeds."

"That's pretty cool," Transparengirl said, focusing on Hiro as she asked, "So what else can you do?"

"That's pretty much it," Hiro told her, "I command Baymax in battle, repair or replace by friends' armor when it gets damaged, and come up with many of the strategies we use when fighting."

"That's it?" Frozone asked in disbelief, "You gave all your friends superpowers to fight while you just stick to your robot's back like a refrigerator magnet?"

Hiro looked around uncomfortably at his friends, who looked back at him with sympathetic looks, then he reached over and grabbed one of the alien weapons from a nearby table as he said, "We also got these laser guns in the last battle."

"Oh, that's great," Frozone told him sarcastically, "It's not like they have a THOUSAND MORE OR SOMETHING!"

"Lucius," Mr. Incredible said softly to his friend.

"No, he's right," Julian told them, "Despite the various talents we've gathered here, and the modest arsenal Hiro and his friends had gathered, it won't be quite enough to turn the tide when the Chitauri break through again. However, we have one more resource at our disposal, one which should prove the key to victory." Julian then made his fingers crackle with electricity, an Hiro felt his shirt lurch as the dormant microbot was magnetically plucked from the pocket he'd kept it in.

"My microbots?" Hiro asked in confusion.

Julian nodded as he said, "This is what will save our bacon."

"And how's that little thing supposed to help?" Frozone asked.

"You recall how the 'creepy masked guy' attacked Krie Tech?" Julian asked him, then he held up the tiny robot for emphasis as he told Frozone, "It was this, replicated many times over. Of course we'll need about three times as many as Professor Callaghan had used that day for what I have in mind, but I believe that I can modify the equipment here to produce that many before the Chitauri return."

"So I take it you've got a plan?" Mr. Incredible asked him.

Julian nodded and said, "First, we'll need to draw as many invaders as we can out of the portal while keeping the citizenry safe. Also, even though he'll be in the middle of the fighting, we'll need to keep Hiro safe, as he and his microbots are our ace in the hole. The main objective of the entire operation will be the Chitauri's mothership, which serves as the major nerve center of their hive mind."

"So once they've brought over enough of their troops to Earth I use my microbots to destroy this ship, and that'll stop them?" Hiro asked.

"Like marionettes with their strings cut," Julian confirmed, "But it won't be that simple. Unlike the troops and the Leviathans, the mothership will not likely ever pass through the portal itself, relying on the surrounding troops and the vacuum of space for its protection. Because your 'bots won't have any propulsion there themselves and your link might not reach that far through the portal, you and Baymax will need to guide them there personally. As such, I've modified your suits to remain pressurized and provide you with the air you'll need."

"If destroying their mothership stops them, then why do we need to wait to do so?" Wasabi asked, "Why can't we just go through as soon as the portal opens and smash it?"

"There's two reasons: the first is practicality and safety," Julian explained, "The more of them there are on Earth, the fewer there will be that Hiro and Baymax will have to muscle past on the other side of the portal, and the reverse is also true. Therefore, by drawing most of them here before going in, we'll make it easier for Hiro and Baymax to accomplish their mission without serious injury."

"As for the second reason, that too is also simple: We want this loss to be so costly to Thanos that he doesn't try to encroach on this universe again," Julian continues, "Even if Hiro and Baymax manage to fight their way past all the squadrons of Chitauri without getting killed and manage to destroy the mothership, most of the troops will be on their side of the portal, in which case it's possible that Thanos can have them re-slaved to a new mothership. Even worse, if he decides to try invading your world again he'll be ready to stop you from trying the same tactic against him. However, if we wait for him to send most of his troops through before going and destroying his ship, then those troops will be stuck here with no way for him to retrieve and reuse them, making returning to this world not feasible for him."

"Well, I'm all for them not returning, so as long as we can pull it off without anyone getting killed in the process then I'm all for it," Hiro said, then the turned towards the others and asked, "How about you guys?"

Everyone nodded and murmured their acceptance as Wasabi said, "If this means we see an end to this creature-feature, absolutely."

Hiro then sat down and began entering the parameters for his devices as he said, "Then let's do this."

Sometime later, after Julian suggested some alterations to the design (purportedly to prevent a repeat of the Krie Tech incident) the manufacture of the microbots was underway. Hiro had then taken most of his completed armor, leaving behind his helmet so that the new neural transmitter could be fitted in it once it was completed, then he'd left the room. GoGo remained behind for a while watching the tiny bots roll off the conveyor belts, then a combination of boredom and concern for the fact that Hiro hadn't returned yet got the better of her. After quietly talking with Honey Lemon and getting her to agree to keep an eye on Julian in her absence (neither of them knew him well enough to trust that he won't hurt Hiro by betraying him the way Professor Callaghan had), GoGo slipped from the room to look for Hiro.

After a moment of looking, GoGo located Hiro up on the roof. He was wearing his armor and sitting on the edge, looking out on the town. GoGo had to admit that the damage didn't look as bad from out here, and with the sun setting the town actually looked pretty and peaceful. She hoped that it could stay that way, that the invaders would stay gone and all the preparations that they'd been putting together would prove to be not needed. However, if half of what they'd heard about Thanos was true, it didn't sound as though he was the kind of conqueror who gave up after his troops were pushed out the door before it was slammed shut behind them.

When she took a seat beside him, noting with pleasant surprise that this new armor didn't pinch the way her old one did, Go Go saw that Hiro's brow was furrowed in concern. "What's wrong, Hiro?" GoGo asked him, "You look like you're worried."

"I am," Hiro admitted, "So much of this plan's success hinges upon me and my microbots. When I had invented them, I never imagined that I'd have to use them to save the world from an alien invasion."

"Look, you'll do fine," GoGo assured him, "We'll keep you covered until you have to go solo, and Julian assured us that the only major change made to your machines is that they'll respond to your thought-waves alone. Otherwise they should operate just the same."

"I know. That's not what worries me," Hiro told her, "Each of the things we've faced, the crimes we've solved, each crisis we've averted, we've always faced them as a team. I've just never had so much riding solely on my shoulders before."

"It'll be all right, Hiro," GoGo told him, "We've always relied on you before, and you've always pulled through."

"Yes, but each of those times one of you could have easily stepped in to complete the mission if anything happened to me," Hiro countered, "But there's no backup plan this time. If I should fall here, it's game over. Of course I don't really mind dying if I can save all of you in the process of doing so, but…"

"Don't talk like that!" GoGo interrupted him in a shocked tone, "You'll succeed in your mission and make it back to us alive!"

"She's right, you know," GoGo heard Julian say behind her, and she saw everyone else standing behind him near the roof access, all suited up, "Talk like that has never been conducive to the success of a mission. The mindset you have has a stronger influence on things than you can imagine. If you go into something like this thinking you're going to die or to fail, then chances are that is what will happen. You have to stay positive if there's any chance for us all to make it through this. After all, you are the leader of your team, just like Mr. Incredible is the leader of his team. They depend on you to keep a cool head, and when things are at bleakest they need you to tell them things will turn out all right if they don't give up. Most importantly, they need you to believe it."

Great! GoGo thought sarcastically, As if Hiro needed any more pressure! However, it seemed to her as if Julian's words had an impact on Hiro as he closed his eyes and took a deep cleansing breath. When Hiro opened his eyes again, the doubt and uncertainty GoGo had seen in there was gone. Hiro took his helmet from Julian as he said, "I take it the Microbot construction is complete?"

"Just moments ago, in fact," Julian confirmed, "We could have produced about 250 more units, in fact, but I thought it best to remove any evidence of their manufacture here, just in case someone decides to take shelter here."

Hiro nodded his understanding, and GoGo had to admit it was rather forward thinking on his part. Then there was a loud crack heard from the sky, and Julian turned to face the city as he continued, "And it looks as if it weren't a moment too soon. The atmosphere's ionization is now rather low, so I expect we'll see a new portal right about….now." As Julian finished, the wormhole opened again just where it had before.

As the first of the invaders began to emerge from the rip in the sky, Hiro placed the helmet on his head and pressed a hidden button built into the right head fin, activating something that lit up his forehead. "Then what are we waiting for?" GoGo heard Hiro say through her headset as the black microbots poured out of the stairwell and climbed up over the edge of the roof, "Let's go save the world."