Chapter 8

Things… have been hectic. Hiro was given a clean bill of health and was released from the hospital. Tadashi's cast finally came off too. There was enough good cheer and celebration, I um... forgot about Callaghan.

I mean, there was so much to do! I had to find a new apartment. There were still therapy sessions that Cass was making her boys (and me) attend. Hiro restored the life and energy to the Hamada Household. Life continued on, surging with new energy. Hiro had already registered for his Spring Classes (Fall Semester had all been canceled due to the disaster of SFIT Showcase and the number of students suffering from the fallout). The brothers were smiling and laughing, the Nerd Crew over every day. It was nice, seeing the friendship form and fall into easy camaraderie.

It was easy to pretend that everything was alright and there wasn't a possibly madman loose on the run.

Which was why it came back to me just in time to see Tadashi, Hiro and Baymax jump out of the second story warehouse building.

Follow by a swarm of microbots.

Fuck my life.

xXxXx

"Tadashi and Hiro Hamada! WHAT IS GOING ON!" Haruka snapped. Inwardly, she vaguely knew what was going on and was panicking. Right, she was currently living in a movie and had stupidly dropped her guard down. That sort thing was what normally got people killed!

"Hi Haruka," Hiro said, dragging Baymax off the ground.

"Not now, Haruka," Tadashi said, grabbing her hand and dragging her away.

Running with them, glass crunching beneath their shoes, Haruka turned to look over her shoulder. "Please tell me that was not your microbot, Hiro," Haruka pleaded. She hoped that maybe, just maybe, she was completely wrong about this being exactly like the movie.

They skidded around the corner, sliding to a stop. Tadashi peered around the wall, checking to see if the swarm was still following them. It didn't look like it.

"They are," Hiro said grimly. "I don't know how or who is making them, but they stole my invention."

"Hello, I am Baymax," Baymax introduced himself to Haruka.

"H-Hi Baymax," Haruka weakly said. Oh god. This was really happening to her. It was one thing to prevent Tadashi's death, but here she was actually getting pulled into the movie plot. 'I miss my normal boring life,' she mentally wailed.

"We need to report this to the police," Tadashi said.

Haruka let out a bitter laugh, already knowing that wasn't going to go well at all.

Which was exactly why they were sitting in the Hamada Household's kitchen after running away from the police officer that clearly didn't believe them.

"So let me get this straight," Haruka said; her lips pressed thin into a frown. "You noticed, or rather Baymax noticed that Hiro's Microbot had wanted to go in a certain direction. And absentmindedly, you sent him off to look for it, only to realize your mistake and chase after him. After which, you found a suspicious looking warehouse and decided to check it, only to find out someone has been mass producing Hiro's microbots for no reason?!" At the end of her rant, her voice had a slightly shrill edge to it.

At least, thankfully, the Hamada brothers looked like they were suitably chastised.

Haruka pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling the headache. Mentally she was kicking herself for forgetting all about the warehouse and Callaghan.

"I just don't understand how they got it to work," Hiro said. "You said the headband was destroyed when your house caught on fire and all the microbots should have been destroyed in the SFIT Showcase fire. How could anyone have gotten my invention?"

"Right," Haruka said, thankful for once that the fire could… let her get away with her white lie. Which, if this was a movie, was going to come out at the worst moment possible so it may actually be in her best interest to inform Hiro about it sooner than later.

"So now what?" Tadashi asked. "The police didn't believe us when we told them about it."

"We have to stop them!" Hiro said.

"No," Tadashi and Haruka chorused together.

"It's too dangerous," Tadashi said.

"But!" Hiro protested.

"I already nearly lost you once, Hiro," Tadashi said quietly. "No. We'll go back to convince the police, but this isn't something I want you to get hurt doing."

Haruka frowned. Despite Tadashi's words… chances were, Hiro was destined to be a hero. She shifted, uneasy.

The future loomed dark and dangerous.

Happy Holidays. owo b