The news has shaken San Fransokyo to the core. Everyone was raving about the new celebrity that would be enrolling at SFIT. The campus was buzzing with people from all over that have come to be a spectator of the hot shot arriving on campus. Crowds of people stood with their phones out, some live-streaming, others face-timing friends and family. This was someone everyone could only dream of getting a chance to meet. This person has been dubbed the world's sweetheart after being the model for the number one ranked arcade racing game in the world. And now they would be attending SFIT.
Hiro Hamada rummages through his papers, trying to prepare for the day's lecture. He was standing in the SFIT auditorium that he has perfectly setup for his presentation. He was asked by Keri tech investors, the SFIT school board, and other prestigious scientists to provide a practical application of some of Hiro's newest inventions. After what happened with Robert Callaghan, no one was convinced Hiro's microbots should be used. His friends as well objected to the idea, but he couldn't help but think the world needed some of his technology. He was beginning to feel like Tony Stark--filled with genius inventions that are never able to be shared because the world could not be trusted to use it properly.
"Hiro!" An excited voice calls. Hiro looks over and relaxes, seeing Honey Lemon speeding towards him, adjusting her flats with a skip and dusting off her lab coat. She pulls him into a hug but he quickly brushes her off.
"Honey Lemon! Not the suit!" Hiro laughs gesturing to the dark blue jacket, black shirt, matching dark blue dress pants and silver and white striped tie. He still chose to wear a pair of black sneakers and his hair was still a mess as usual. Some things would never change from how Honey Lemon first met him seven years prior.
"Okay, okay! Ooh you do look spiffy!" Honey Lemon smiles, "I wish the others could have been here."
"Nah don't worry about it," Hiro shrugs, "Wasabi and Gogo started that new tech company together, you're teaching here now and--"
As if on cue, they jump at the sound of the double doors being shoved open, the sound reverberating through the empty auditorium.
"Hiro! My man!" Fred strolls in casually. He wore an old red t-shirt that has multiple oil stains, a raggedy old hat, and a pair of ripped up jeans."
"Fred? What are you doing here, I thought you were supposed to be on some training retreat with your dad?" Hiro questions referencing his superhero father. It had shocked all of them, but the old man had been more than helpful in aiding in their training.
"Yeah but when I tried to catch one of the flying hologram disk thingies I struck a nerve that made my arms feel like limp noodles and Dad sent me home! So I figured I'd come to your inventor shindig." Fred puts his hands in his pocket gesturing to the three tables set up with his latest inventions on it.
"Well let's hope they can look past the incident at Krei Tech," Hiro sighs, "I need this to work. I just want to make a difference and I don't know how to do that if people won't let me."
"Hiro, you make a difference everyday. Every night we're out on the streets fighting bad guys. Big Hero 6 is that difference," Honey Lemon puts a hand on his shoulder for encouragement, "And seeing as you're almost at your doctorate and have already been teaching master classes in robotics, cybersecurity and other sciences, I'd say that is making a difference."
"Sure is making you money at least," Fred mumbles under his breathe. It was true of course.
Hiro got a huge cut for traveling and giving master classes. He was able to teach and share his knowledge and help other kids like himself--teaching kids to do something with their lives. However, there was still something missing that he couldn't quite put a finger on. Something he already knows the answer to but buries it like a dog burying a bone, hoping it's still there when they're finally ready.
"Or," Honey lemon says cautiously, "You could expand the BayMax protocol. Let Gogo and Wasabi run it through their company so you still have full control over what happens. You know Gogo and Wasabi will never turn on you."
Fred looks up at Honey Lemon with a warning glance, knowing she possibly struck a nerve. However, it was a risk Honey Lemon was willing to take because Hiro was her friend. Hiro has been putting off releasing Baymax, claiming it would put their identities as Big Hero 6 in danger. He used this excuse thinking the others would believe if there were hundreds of Baymax's then they would know Big Hero 6 had a Baymax before anyone else, thus implying Hiro was a part of the elite and well known team. Hiro thought, at the time, it was a viable explanation. As he gets older, he notices this excuse was a dying excuse.
" I can't release it," Hiro simply says.
"Can't? Or won't?" Fred raises his eyebrow. Hiro sighs and leans on the glass podium, staring down at the papers as if they were written in archaic text. His friends knew him all too well. They all knew the real reason why Hiro didn't want to launch the BayMax Protocol. Baymax was his best friend, his lifeline to Tadashi. Right now, no one but Hiro had that access. Sharing meant he had to share his best friend. It was as if Hiro couldn't stand the thought of Baymax working with anyone but him and his team.
"I need to get some supplies from the lab," Hiro frowns, "I'll be back before the presentation. Fred don't touch anything."
Fred makes an 'x' over his heart with a smile. Honey Lemon's eyes light up and she calls after him, "Hiro! Let us know if you spot the new girl!"
"Who?" Hiro raises his eyebrow.
Honey Lemon jumps excitedly, "Van Schweetzenenger! She arrives at SFIT today!"
"Right, I'll let you know," Hiro says. Hiro was less than enthused about Van's arrival. To him it didn't seem right. To get a full ride to SFIT you had to be as brilliant as... well... Hiro Hamada. There's no record of her academic history, and in fact, it would appear that she took normal classes like any normal girl. She had gone to a regular high school with regular people. She was, however, Hiro's age. The only difference is that she was just starting college, he was almost finished. Of course he didn't pay an extreme attention to media so he only remembers Van from when she was a child and first debuted in the arcade game Sugar Rush. It was fun to play when he was younger, but he hadn't followed that franchise in years. Yet, somehow she had made it to SFIT. It was trifling.
As Hiro makes the journey to the lab, he starts to wonder if he made the right decision by not launching Baymax. It was his brother's legacy and it would have been his ultimate wish for Hiro to see that Baymax was properly put in place in the healthcare system. But if Hiro was able to manipulate Baymax, what if others would too? He was going to have to find a way to ensure that Baymax's healthcare chip could never be tampered with. They would have to be closely monitored and only those proven trustworthy and honorable would be able to handle them.
As he enters the robotics lab he hears the whirring of gears. He rounds the corner to meet a familiar face.
"Still working on that bot?" Hiro smiles at the curly red headed young man in front of him. He had a plethora of freckles and his ears just a tad too big for his face. He has a lanky body type and he stood just a foot shorter that Hiro's five foot six.
"Mr. Hamada!" The boy drops the screw driver in his hand, scrambling to pick it up.
"Cam, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Hiro. Saying mister just makes me feel old. And I'm only twenty one!" Hiro laughs walking over to the bot that sat inactive in front of him. The bot has an electric screen for a face, the body bulky but clean cut with the finest materials. It looks like steel because of the color Cam had painted it, but Hiro knew well the material was much more current and durable.
"Sorry," Cam blushes, "Just a habit I picked up. My parents are southern so they put heavy emphasis on respect."
"That's a good thing," Hiro nods, "How's the project going? It's looking good."
"It's going okay," Cam frowns, "It finally looks like a robot, but if it's going to do what I want the design needs to be more functional."
"So what exactly are you planning for this bot?" Hiro says putting his hands behind his back and leaning in, "You've been refusing to tell me for a year. Now that you've got solid structure, I can help you if you tell me what your plan is."
Cam takes a deep breathe and opens the folder sitting on his desk. He hands it to Hiro with a shaky hand. Hiro smiles at him opening the pages to complex drawings and formulas. Hiro's eyes widen as he thumbs through the contents of the folder, examining mathematical equations and concept designs for the robot. This was a type of contraption he would have loved to have had in his bot fighting days. Of course, his microbots created a fool proof bot because they were magnetic and couldn't be broken. There was no way he could lose. While durability may not have been on Cam's mind, the cool factor definitely was.
"So you're a gamer huh?" Hiro smiles, "It's a pretty neat concept, I'm just wondering what your plan is to implement them."
"Well I was just thinking one day how cool it would be if you could actually meet some of the characters you play in video games," Cam announces, "Actually getting to meet Zero Suit Samus or smash it up with Mario? It's the perfect character sim bot."
"So all the extra magnetic paneling--"
"Allows the figure to shift into any character! You just download stats and backstory from all games or movies from the character and voila! They're alive! To an extent. They still can't think for themselves but at least gamers can get a chance to interact with them."
"And how do you think this will help make the world a better place?" Hiro asks. As the mentor over the robotics division, he had to ensure that ethics are constantly being reinforced. Especially after Robert Callaghan and Allistair Krei. Mr. Krei hasn't been as bad to work with but old habits die hard. He was just as cynical and money driven as before, but Hiro and his friends have assisted him many a times over the years and they now have some influence over him.
" I've always loved video games, but sometimes you just feel so alone. I really believe this can give some kid out there hope. A chance to meet and talk to their hero as if they were real. Not every kid is as lucky as I am to have a mentor like you. I just want someone else to have a chance." Cam explains.
Hiro sighs and give Cam a halfhearted smile. Cam had been so shy he couldn't speak to people without panicking. Cam had snuck into one of Hiro's master classes a few years ago. Being a superhero, he can tell when something is out of place. Hiro approached Cam afterwards with BayMax in tow. Cam had begun to have a panic attack but BayMax had helped relax and console him. From there the rest was history. Hiro assisted him on school projects and helped him get accepted into SFIT. Cam feels that he owes Hiro and hearing his praise was invaluable.
"Keep up the good work. I believe in you. Come to me or Honey Lemon if you have questions," Hiro says checking his watch, "Man I gotta go. See ya later Cam."
This was the moment she was waiting for. As they pull up to SFIT in the green old Volkswagen Beetle. The girl in the passenger seat was wide eyed and beaming, barely able to control her excitement. In the backseat was a less enthused friend. She slouched with a lollipop in her mouth. Her pink and white baseball cap sat perfectly atop her platinum blonde shoulder length Bob. Her pink leather jacket groans underneath her crossed arms as she scrolls through social media.
"Van this was a stupid idea," the girl pipes, "Ralph can we just turn back and go to the hotel to ride this out? Look at the crowds out there!"
"No way," the gruff and burly man in the front seat shakes his head, "I had to squeeze myself into this tiny car for a half hour to get us here, you both are going in there."
"This is going to be the best day of my life!" The girl in the front seat beams, her hands and face smushed against the tempered glass window, "This is one of the best schools in the whole world for STEM students! Plus GoGo Tomago went to school here. Taffyta you gotta admit how sweet it's going to be to met her! Those bikes she made for the Sugar Rush upgrade? Insane!"
Taffyta rolls her eyes, her eyelash extensions only exaggerating the moment, "yeah alright fine. That would be pretty amazing. Especially for my movie career. I'd love to break into action films instead of all these stupid kids films."
"That's what we're known for Taf," Van laughs, "Your name practically screams 'for children'"
"Speak for yourself Vanellope Von Schweetzenenger!"
"Hey! It's Van!" Vanellope glares.
"Yes a boys name. It was cute as a nickname, now that it's all you use? Eh. Not so cute anymore."
"Guys!" Ralph bangs his forehead on the edge of the wheel, which isn't easy for the oversized man. He has an aftershave with brown messy hair. Even his hands were oversized, almost as if they had stepped out of Sugar Rush for real. But that game had come out a long time ago and they were all grown up now. Ralph was never going to let the two know how worn down he was beginning to feel. He was almost fifty years old. It had been 16 years since they all first let the creators of the new game use them as the faces of the popular arcade game and now 15 years since they started acting. Ralph was done chasing the life of fame.
"Okay," Vanellope says, her ponytail almost whacking Ralph and she whips it around, "what do we do?"
"Uh," Ralph sighs putting the car in park and pulling out his phone, "Your agent texted me and said they should be pulling up with the limo and decoys any minute and to sneak in the side door. A woman named Abigail Callaghan should be waiting for you both."
"This is so cool!" Vanellope quips, all of her bracelets clanking together. She had settled for a pair of acid wash bell bottom jeans, her limited edition Sugar Rush high tops, a simple chain to slink around her waistline and a white denim vest over her teal v neck t-shirt. Ralph's phone buzzes and he nods to them.
"Alright you're good to go, just head up those steps, there should be a door on your left. Abigail is waiting for you." Ralph explains unlocking the doors.
"Thanks Ralph! Taf, hurry up!" Vanellope exclaims slinging her small purse over her shoulder.
"I'm coming princess, just give me a second," Taffyta groans trying to shove open the door with her black mid-calf heeled boots.
"I'll meet you inside later!" Ralph calls after them. Taffyta slinks her arm in Vanellope's and they keep their heads low hurrying up the steps off to the side. To their dismay there were more stairs than either of them would have wished. Taffyta and Vanellope both find themselves grumbling the entire way up, sweat beads gathering on their face. When they reach the top, they huff, both needing to catch their breathe. There is an open door and a woman with a gentle smile giggles at them, ushering them inside.
Abigail Callaghan greets them both, shaking their hands. She checks the surrounding areas before starting the tour. Abigail hands them folders containing the schedules they had picked, maps to the campus, important phone numbers and a list of instructors. Vanellope marvels as she looks through the instructors and mentors. She spots one or two that she recognize instantly. Hiro Hamada being one of them. Everyone who was anyone knew who he was. The inventor of Microbots, he had made advancements in the science community no one his age has been able to do. It was inspiring. Her uncle Felix had been the one to push her towards STEM programs once he noticed she had a knack for complex problems and mathematics. However, her agents wanted her to keep her academic prowess on the down low.
It annoys her to pretend to be stupid, but nobody wanted to talk to her about anything "smart". They want to ask her about snotty stuff like dating and relationships, fashion, trends, and gossip--all things she can't stand. Since she was a kid she has had a snippy attitude, mostly because people rarely had anything nice or relevant to say. Taffyta was her best friend for more than one reason, the main reason being that they understand each other. Taffyta, as mean as she can be, understands what annoys Vanellope and where her attitude comes from. Vanellope, similarity understands why Taffyta is so moody and is patient with her through those moments--which came often.
As they pass an elevator, Vanellope looks up and spots a sign that she was rather intrigued by. It was a sign that read "Robotics". Vanellope stops Abigail in the middle of her speech and points to the elevator.
"What's in there?" Vanellope asks.
"Hmm? Oh that's the robotics division," Abigail looks at Vanellope in shock, "I don't remember them telling me you were interested in robotics. We were told you were interested in physics. Like, configuring cars and bikes like Gogo Tomago."
Vanellope and Taffyta exchange a glance, both of them knowing their publicity teams were not going to tell even the confidante about what Vanellope really wanted.
"Just keeping my options open," Vanellope shrugs, "Do you think I could go take a look?"
"Oh I'm not sure, it might be a bit much for someone like you--"
"How about you take me to see the testing track Gogo Tomago had installed a few years ago, and Van can go see the robotics room or whatever it is." Taffyta waves at Vanellope to go as she starts to walk away, forcing Abigail to follow. Vanellope wastes no time heading towards the elevator. Smiling at her best friend. She hops into the elevator and she can feel her breathe catch in her throat. She was so excited! SFIT was going to be a dream come true. Soon everyone would know what Vanellope Von Schweetzenenger can truly do.
A/N: I have to break the first chapter into two parts . Look forward to a part 2!This story is going to be a continuing story and if you've read any of my fanfics be prepared for a real ride. I don't have an updating schedule so I will apologize in advanced if updating in between chapters takes a while... I also have six other active and highly developed fanfics that I alternate between so it's going to take me a minute to cycle through all of them to make sure they are being updated. Hope you guys enjoy this Vaniro fanfic :D Until next time!
I'll try to get some fashion sketch concepts for this story on my deviantart account!