Stage 5:

Tadashi was still asleep when Aunt Cass got home. I found out when she found a dead man at the bottom of the stairs.

I guess I have better aim than I thought. Since the Contamination, there wasn't much anyone could do if someone broke into your home and got killed as a result. There was more focus on the Connies, so in a sense despite the civil rights groups and all the other craziness… It was still sometimes martial law.

But now I had a new weight on my shoulders. I killed a man. I sighed pacing around what used to be mine and my brother's room, I moved Baymax's charger to Tadashi's room because I couldn't take having anyone remotely human around right now.

Part of me wonders if it would've been better if Tadashi had just died from the disease. I don't know if this would be how he wanted to keep living.

I shook my head quickly to rid myself of these thoughts. Tadashi would've never given up on me if I had turned into one of them. He would've moved out and tried raising me himself if he could've.

I narrowed my eyes. I wasn't going to give up on him. The house was quiet, Aunt Cass and I had dealt with the cops hours ago. Nowadays they mostly just confirmed it wasn't a Connie that killed him and we left out what happened with Tadashi's collar. Aunt Cass was disturbed and horrified when I explained to her that Mercy Mode had activated.

It nearly killed him but we got it under control.

But that thing wasn't going to get a chance to hurt my brother again.

I waited until everyone had gone to sleep before creeping into Tadashi's room. I kept silent before looking him over.

He was so quiet now.

I had to do this. I turned on my headlamp before taking out the piece of paper Leon had given me.

I read over the directions.

Turn him onto his stomach, keep his neck angled so the collar isn't flush against his skin anymore. Take something small, a pen, a sewing pin, a bobby pin, a chopstick ANYTHING. The hole is here.

There was a quickly sketched diagram of the collar with a large circle around where it would be. I looked and there it was. Next to the stupid warning light.

Carefully, CAREFULLY push your object of choice in until you hear a click. There's still gonna be wires sticking out of him so cut those. After that see what happens.

Be careful. Godspeed.

I swallowed hard and picked up the screw driver I had in my hands before doing as the instructions said. Just as I was about to unlock it I found myself being grabbed and moved. "W-wah!"

Tadashi had me by my shoulders confusion on his face and his eyes.

He's in there… He just needs help waking up more…

"Ngh….?"

"Ta-Tadashi…. Just let go… I'm gonna get that thing off you." I tried to reason with him. He relaxed but gave me what looked like his patented "Big brother is not impressed" look.

"What's that look for?" I crossed my arms feeling weird but… Giddy.

Tadashi tapped my forehead with his index finger cocking an eyebrow. Even with all that I got the message. "Use your brain bonehead."

"What… Is…. That freaking collar actually helping?"

Tadashi shrugged.

The fact he was doing this said enough. Somehow it was and I sighed. "But…"

He pulled me into a hug stopping me from continuing. It was strange and colder then I remembered but… I couldn't help myself curling up to him. "Nii-san…"

Tadashi patted my head before pointing to the door giving me another look.

The message was simple.

"Go to bed."

I sighed and gathered up my stuff making my way for the door. "One day you won't need that collar bro… But… Good on you for sucking it up…"

I hate this though… He's coming along so much better…

The next few weeks though Tadashi acted pretty much the same as always. For some reason he only showed those bits of being himself when I was alone with him. Around other people he just acted like another Connie, shuffling, keeping his head down, slack jawed dead eyed. But at night, when it was just us, there was something. Tapping the side of my head to get me to pay attention.

Rubbing my back when I got overwhelmed with everything.

Smirking when I tell him about Mrs. Matsuda's latest and usually gross attempt to look "hip" he had flashes of it before Mercy Mode got activated but it was just hints and gone within an instant… But during those moments it's like he's back to normal… But he hides it during the day for some reason.

I didn't know why he was doing this when it just hurt to see him acting like he had nothing inside his head but goo when I knew, I KNEW he was still awake in there. Still alive..

But I didn't know that Tadashi's charade would come in handy.