freshman year at high school: check ;)

"Sorry we had to leave so soon," Tadashi said, taking a drink of his iced tea.

"What choice did we have?" Hiro laughed. "Someone set the hallway on fire. I wouldn't have wanted to stay any longer than we had."

Tadashi smiled warmly at Hiro, sighing and looking around the restaurant.

"Is something wrong, Tadashi?" Hiro asked.

Tadashi straightened up at the question. If he was being honest, the image of his dead professor holding the matches and causing the fire still haunted his memory, and Tadashi just couldn't focus.

"No, nothing at all," Tadashi lied. "Just can't believe you're sixteen today."

"Me neither," Hiro grinned, sipping his soda. "My doctor at PT said that as soon as I'm off of my crutches, I can get my drivers license."

"Hiro, that's awesome! And those nurses said you wouldn't make a full recovery. They just didn't know who they were dealing with!"

Hiro laughed and nodded at Tadashi, but Tadashi's excitement died down once again, and he was once again looking around the restaurant."

"Tadashi...are you expecting someone? Because if you are that's fine-"

"No, it's not that," Tadashi sighed, biting his lower lip. "Hiro, do you ever think about Robert Callaghan at all?"

Hiro stiffened this time, tilting his head at how serious Tadashi was being. He gulped, fiddling with his drink.

"Oh, Tadashi, I would really rather not talk about-"

"You don't have to," Tadashi said reassuringly. "I'm not asking that. I'm asking...do you ever think about Robert? Or see him?"

Hiro's eyes widened at that. He looked down at his lap uncomfortably, looking anywhere, anywhere else but into Tadashi's eyes. He hated feeling this weak.

"Well, I-I don't think about him too much, but..."

Tadashi nodded slowly, still looking into Hiro's suddenly-tired eyes.

"Tadashi, do you see him sometimes too?"

Robert walked around the streets of San Fransokyo, his hands in his coat and his face covered my an old fedora. People obviously looked at him like he was some kind of pedophile and kept their distance, but he didn't pay them mind. His mind was on how Tadashi had seen him and looked beyond horrified. How Hiro had looked at the spreading fire and gotten the worse case of deja vu anyone had ever seen.

How Robert was out in the open like that and he didn't even move.

He had just been so done at that point. So tired of waiting around to capture Hiro for two years that he was willing to kill everyone in that building.

Stupid, he knew, because he had done that before. It shouldn't feel any different the second time around, and he knew it.

So why did it?

He grunted at his behavior, turning into an alleyway that led to their headquarters for this whole mission. He unlocked the heavy doors to the run down building and turned into his office. He dialed a number into the telephone on his desk and patted his foot in anticipation.

"So," said the voice on the other line. "I see someone decided to light yet another building ablaze. Nicely done, but I have one question for you, Robert. Why? What in the hell did that accomplish exactly, pray tell?"

"I'm done with this, okay?" Robert huffed back. "Done with all of this bullshit. I don't wanna do this anymore. I've wasted too much time on it."

"You're not quitting, Robert. You don't really think you can work for me for two years, do a crappy job, and get off clean, do you? That's not how the real world works. Just in case you think you can really make it out there alive. And besides, what will you do without me? It's not like you can just rise from the dead and everyone will be fine with it. You'll probably be imprisoned, you know."

"I don't want a real job or a normal life. I want to make you suffer, Alistar. All you've ever wanted was for Hiro to work for you and keep your company alive. Kepp coming up with ideas. And you know what? People will find out the truth eventually. This plan would never have worked for you. But I can still turn things around. I can capture Hiro for myself, and you will have to pay me to get him back. Yes, that's what I'll do/ I'll take the boy, fake his death, and then I want money for him. Lots of it. And just like that, he'll be yours. Yours forever."

"Go to hell, Robert! Straight to hell! Screw this, I'll take the kid myself."

"You don't have the balls or the technology I have."

Robert ended the call, taking off his fedora and putting on his mask.

Tomorrow. Enough with the being careful. I'm taking him tomorrow.

Hiro and Tadashi had been at the restaurant for hours, talking about college and Robert and Baymax. Tadashi told funny stories in light of Hiro's birthday, and Hiro told funny stories of Tadashi building Baymax.

"I remember that one time when you made all of the power go out at SFIT and I tripped over my crutches. I spent the night on the ground because of you!"

"Hey, I still feel terrible about that!" Tadashi laughed. Hiro waved his hand and shook his head, sipping his soda again. "So. Do you think the masked man is gone for good?"

"I like to think that, yes," Hiro sighed. "He hasn't been around in months, but I'm still careful about it. You never know with that man."

"Well, that's good," Tadashi nodded. Hiro grinned.

"Actually, believe it or not, I come to this joint a lot," Hiro said. "I just go to the bar and order a coke because here, I'm not the kid that got shoved into lockers and thrown out of windows by a lunatic. I'm just Hiro."

Tadashi was saddened by the sentence but he nodded reassuringly at Hiro nonetheless. He grabbed his hand and took a drink of his tea.

"That's nice, I'm sure."

"Yeah..." Hiro said awkwardly. "You know, I got a letter in the mail today. Somebody was wishing me a happy sixteenth birthday. Same person who did last year."

"What? Who?" Tadashi asked. "What do you mean the same person as last year?"

"The masked man always leaves me a letter wishing me a happy birthday," Hiro confessed. "Not at the cafe, of course. He doesn't know where I live. But he leaves it on my desk."

"What? Hiro, why didn't you ever tell me this? That means that he was in your office, we could have caught him!"

"Because he's a psychopath and I hated the idea that he touched my stuff," Hiro confessed. "I didn't know how to react. I threw the letters in the trash."

"Oh, Hiro..."

"And I invented my own security system. Did I tell you about that? I made my own fucking security system. I spent several days in the lab perfecting it so that he wouldn't come in, and do you know what? He still managed to get that letter on my desk. How did he do that?"

Hiro's hands were shaking now. He took his hand out of Tadashi's, rubbing them together frantically in his lap. Tadashi looked at him in shock and sadness.

"All of your friends and Aunt Cass are constantly following me around. Making sure I'm safe. At least when you do it, it's sincere. It's like it's their chore to make sure I'm not being murdered. I'm always so relieved when you come and bring me soup and we talk in the student's lounge. You make sure I'm coping well with everything. That I haven't seen anything weird. But then there's Gogo who pulls out her pocketknife and Wasabi with his bodyguard facade and Fred with his "ninja skills" and Honey Lemon-"

Hiro stopped short, wiping the tear falling from his face away.

"Well...Honey Lemon and Aunt Cass are okay. They're okay. You're okay..."

Tadashi's eyes were beginning to become glossy. He had abandoned his sweet tea and his noodles that he had been enjoying only five minutes earlier. Hiro seemed to have done the same, of course.

"I know you guys are just trying to protect me from all the bullshit I've faced as a teenager...but, fuck, perfection is suffocating."

Tadashi leaned back into the booth he was sitting in, taking Hiro's words in slowly.

"I mean, sometimes, I just want to pack up all my stuff in the middle of the night, throw away my phone, and just leave. Never speak to anyone again."

Tadashi was especially taken aback by this statement, its meaning and tone overcoming his already cloudy memory.

"You wanna...you wanna leave?" Tadashi said, taking a large gulp. Hiro shook his head.

"No...no, of course not. I would never leave you, Tadashi."

"Then what did you mean? What did you mean by that? I mean, that was a pretty serious thing to say."

Hiro squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head and grabbing his crutches.

"Excuse me for a second. I need to use the restroom."

Tadashi watched Hiro as he struggled to stand. He got to his crutches eventually, going to the restroom and walking out five minutes later. He carried himself out of the bathroom, past Tadashi's table, and out of the restaurant.

Tadashi didn't move as he watched him go. He didn't stop him, either. He sat there until the manager had to tell Tadashi that the restaurant had closed long ago, and Tadashi was escorted out of the building.

He sat in his car for another hour, scrolling through his phone like an idiot. Eventually, he sighed, turning on his car.

The engine turned over. The headlights were on. Tadashi pulled his seatbelt across his chest.

Before he pulled out of the restaurant parking lot, he pulled out his phone once more, going to Hiro's text message conversation. He hesitated, fiddling with the volume button before typing...

"Happy birthday, little brother. I love you so much."

"Well, Hiro, you're doing much better than you were one month ago."

Hiro laughed at his PT trainer's statement. Today he had received news that he wouldn't have to use his crutches anymore if he could pass this test. If he could just walk up this flight of stairs. Three flights of stairs. He took a breath, holding his doctor's hand.

"Thank you so much, Doctor Patrice. For everything. Even if I fail this test. Thank you."

"No, Hiro. You did this yourself. You've walked all of those steps. Now the finish line is in your grasp. Go break it!"

Hiro grinned, hugging the woman.

"But DON'T break any of your bones, mister."

"No promises," he said in uncertainty. He took a deep breath, grabbing the railing and taking the first few steps. They were easy, much to Hiro's surprise. He took the next one, his smile growing. This was easy! It really way easy! He found himself walking a normal pace, earning a cheer from his doctor.

"Hiro! You're doing it! You're really doing it! I knew it. I just knew you could do it, young man!"

Hiro laughed, going faster up the steps. His doctor encouraged him, throwing her fist in the air in triumph as Hiro reached the last few steps.

"Last flight, Hiro! Soldier on!"

Hiro nodded, taking them two at a time, jumping to the top. Doctor Patrice screams a victory, running up to Hiro and hugging him.

"You did it! You did it!"

"I did it," Hiro said happily, letting out a deep breath. "I did it! I can walk!"

"Go get yourself a drink and I'll write a note to your driver's education teacher," she winked, going back down the stairs. Hiro nodded, jogging up to the next floor and going to the water fountain. The grin remained plastered on his face.

Boy, wait till Tadashi hears I can walk.

Hiro knew that the next time he would talk to Tadashi, it would be awkward, but he hoped maybe Tadashi wasn't angry at him. He had just bottled up so much for two years, he had to let it out. But he had to make it right.

Today. I'll make it right today.

With that thought in mind, Hiro bent down to take a drink of water.

Before he could even swallow, however, a loud boom echoed throughout the building, making Hiro leap and turn towards the direction of the sound.

The masked man had blown a large hole into the wall. Hiro cried out in horror, bolting away from him. The man noticed this, commanding his microbots to trap Hiro. They grabbed Hiro's waist, and as the people of the hospital ran in terror, the masked man smirked, trapping Hiro in a bubble of microbots and smashing it on the ground. It wouldn't hurt or kill him, but he had to make it look like Hiro was dead. People couldn't come looking for him once he was gone.

Hiro's panicked breathing filled the small space he was trapped in. He pulled out his phone, trying to call Tadashi.

"Hi, this is Tadashi. Leave a message!"

"Damnit!" Hiro cried. His phone suddenly died, and he cursed in anger. He pocketed it nonetheless. It could come in handy and maybe save his life later. If he even had that much time left, that is.

The masked man left the hospital, Hiro trapped in his grasp and unknown to the world that he was alive. He smirked, thinking of Krei and how he hadn't believed he could actually pull it off. Now, Krei would have to pay him thousands of dollars, and Robert could leave the country.

Hiro began to sob in the bubble of microbots, banging his fists to try and get out.

"Tadashi! Help!"

Help.

Tadashi crumbled up another sheet of notes in anger, throwing it in the trash. Baymax tilted his head at this, hobbling over to Tadashi in concern.

"Is something wrong, Tadashi? You are showing signs of anger and stress. Might I suggest some tea?"

"Maybe later, buddy. I'm just thinking about Hiro, that's all. Don't mind me."

"But I am programmed to mind you."

Tadashi laughed, spinning his chair toward Baymax as he chewed on his pencil.

"It's just...Hiro said something very serious last night and I don't know how I feel about it. I guess I didn't realize how much he needed help because he admitted he wanted to leave us. San Fransokyo. His college. His family. I just don't know, Baymax."

"Well, Tadashi, maybe it was a cry for help. He must need you much more than you think and he was trying to tell you that through a plea."

Tadashi nodded slowly. Maybe Baymax was right. Maybe-

"Tadashi," one of Tadashi's professors was suddenly bursting through the door, devastation on her face. Tadashi stood up in concern, walking to her side.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"There's been an accident at SFH," she choked out.

"The hospital? Isn't your aunt staying there? What happened?"

"My aunt is fine, Tadashi," she said, a tear falling down her cheek.

"Then what's wrong? What kind of accident was it?"

His professor swayed, letting out a strained sob and grabbing Tadashi's hand.

"There was an accident at the hospital and Hiro didn't make it, Tadashi."

yesterday was national brother's day here in america it was lit