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"I have the kid."

"What?"

"I said I have Hiro. I took him while he was at PT. If you want him, you have to pay up. Then, I'm done with your missions and your schemes."

"Robert, you don't know who you're dealing with," Krei growled over the phone. "I've funded and made sure everything would be satisfactory over the last two years to make sure you could get him to me. You do NOT get to-"

"I most certainly get to do this, you bastard!" Robert roared. "He'll be yours forever, the world will be none the wiser, and I'll be out of the country. For good."

...

"How much do you want for him?"

Robert smirked, turning to look at Hiro. He was unconscious on the ground, tied with ropes and gagged. Robert was almost uncomfortable with how okay he was with the concept of this. Taking a young man away from his family and the world to be a millionaire's slave, just because his company was nearly bankrupt and they were running out of ideas. Robert felt no sympathy toward Hiro. He felt no sadness at the thought of never seeing Krei again. And, most especially, he felt no pity toward the Hamada family.

He cleared his throat, his grip tightening on the telephone.

"One million."

Tadashi had remembered being overwhelmed with a feeling of never-ending numbness.

He remembered how his entire body had become paralyzed, and the way his ears felt hot like they were trying to un-hear everything. He remembered the horrible feeling of falling that overcame him and how he was suddenly in Baymax's arms, unconscious.

He remembered too vividly.

The funeral had gone by extremely slow. Tadashi had been told that Hiro's entire body had been crushed in some sort of collapse at the hospital and that he had to be cremated.

A quick death, he had been told. It didn't comfort him anymore.

In fact, when he had learned the cause of death, Tadashi had fallen extremely ill and the funeral had to be postponed. He had insisted that the funeral should continue without him. That he honestly didn't want to be there. But Cass had insisted through tears and chokes, pleading that he had to be right by her side through the entire ceremony. Tadashi hesitated but understood that she wouldn't want to be alone.

So, there he was. Standing under an umbrella and staring at the urn his little brother was inside of.

Unfair. All of it. So unfair, Tadashi wasn't so sure that God loved their family at all. That he wasn't willing to show any mercy to the poor, broken family. People had told them that God lets everything happen for a reason, but Tadashi didn't believe a word of it. What kind of God would let an innocent young man be crushed in an explosion?

Tadashi shook off the thought along with a new tear. He had been sure he had run out of them over the last few days, but he had been very wrong.

He had been wrong about everything, it seemed.

Robert slithered through the alleyways of San Fransokyo, an unconscious and gagged Hiro in tow. He made sure the microbots were quiet this time of night as he made his way to the back of the Krei Tech building, knocking on the back door like Krei had told him to. His instructions had been very thorough, and Robert had been shocked that Krei had even agreed to loan him that much money to get a new identity and get out of the country. He didn't exactly choose to ask, immediately grabbing Hiro and leaving for Krei.

Krei opened the door, smiling at Robert even though it wasn't genuine. He gestured for Robert to come in, eyeing Hiro skeptically. He truly was in a horrible state, but Krei wasn't exactly sympathetic. The entire Krei Tech staff watched dully as Robert slid into the building, his army of microbots and the young boy in tow. Robert took off his mask, whipping around to see Krei as he shut the door.

"I want the money first," Robert insisted.

"I don't think so, Robert," Krei scoffed. "I don't want you running off with the boy. I don't exactly trust you."

"What in hell's name do you expect me to want him for? I don't need him. I don't have a future or a family, and you know that."

"But you do have a family," Krei said with a smirk.

Abigail burst through the door at that moment, a briefcase in her trembling hands. Robert gasped at the sight of her. She probably thought he had been dead all these years, because the minute she laid eyes on him, her eyes welled with tears.

"Dad," she choked out, looking away from him.

"Abbie?"

She looked down further, rage crossing her features as her eyes trailed over to Hiro.

"You're a monster," she says in a sob, abandoning the briefcase and running to Hiro's aide. "His family is devastated, you know that? Monsters, all of you!"

She began untying him, and he awoke instantly, looking around in fear.

"W-what is-?"

"Shh, it's okay, Hiro," she insists, pulling him into a hug. Hiro looks up at Robert, gasping in horror.

"Robert...Callaghan?" he says in shock. "But...you died in the fire!"

"Do you really believe that, Hiro? Even after seeing me around the city all of these years?"

Hiro shrunk at Robert's question. He looked into Abigail's eyes longingly.

"Why am I here?" Hiro whispered to her. She leaned in and whispered in his ear.

"I'm gonna help you escape, okay? Krei wants to use you as his slave at his company, but I'll stop him, I promise. Just hang in there."

Hiro's fear only grew, watching as Robert snatched the briefcase and slithered out of the building, looking back one last time at Abigail, Hiro, and Krei.

"Sweetheart," he says in sadness, reaching his hand out toward his daughter.

"Get the hell out of here," she groans. "I never want to see your face again."

Robert looks at her in pain, his eyes filled with heart as he turns to Krei with a scowl.

"Have a nice life, Alistar. And you, Hiro."

Not like his life has much left to it.

One month later

Tadashi sat in his lab at SFIT, dark circles tracing his once joyful eyes. He was beginning to fail some of his favorite classes, and Baymax had been shut away for ages. Not like Tadashi had really bothered touching him. No amount of help could fix him at this point.

Hiro wouldn't want you to do this to yourself. He loved you so much. Get off your ass and go grab a coffee. Visit Cass. She's lonely.

Tadashi shook his head. Why should he get to enjoy his life when he knew Hiro would never get to?

Get over him. It's been a month.

"He's my brother," Tadashi whispered to himself, banging his fist on the table and causing several empty beer bottles to roll off and shatter. Honey Lemon entered the room, walking briskly to his desk.

"Tadashi, campus security will ban you from the school if you keep drinking in your office," she scolded him, gathering the bottles and throwing them in the trash. Tadashi didn't pay her mind, not even reaching up to wipe the new tear off of his cheek. She noticed this, feeling pity towards the poor man and rubbing circles on his back.

"Tadashi, I know you miss Hiro. I miss him so much, I didn't come to school for weeks. But you have to make Hiro more than an abandoned memory. This isn't any way to grieve."

"I don't care, okay?" Tadashi yelled. "I don't give a fuck anymore."

Honey Lemon kept her calm facade, despite Tadashi's echoing voice. She took a deep breath, squeezing the strap of her bag.

"But maybe that's the whole point," Honey Lemon said quietly, still looking for the right thing to say. "Maybe you need to care and still cope. Let go and all of that."

"'Let go and all of that'," Tadashi scoffed, leaning back in his seat. Honey Lemon sighed loudly, collapsing on Tadashi's couch.

"Why did that happen?" Honey Lemon asked in frustration. Tadashi turned his chair toward her.

"Why did what happen?"

"What, you don't ever wonder what caused the explosion?" Honey Lemon asked. Tadashi shrugged.

"I dunno. Chemicals. Either way, it killed half of the hospital. People are calling it a country crisis, like 9/11."

Honey Lemon rolled her eyes.

"I didn't hear anything about other people dying though," Honey Lemon said. "I only heard about Hiro dying and then people being hospitalized. So where did you hear-?"

"I don't know, Honey Lemon," Tadashi said in frustration. "I didn't really read about it online. I just assumed that an explosion would kill other people."

"That's my point," Honey Lemon said, uneasy how he would react to what she was about to say. "Tadashi, why did the explosion only kill Hiro? And why were there no burn marks or fire scorches on the building at all?"

Tadashi's eyes widened, standing up straight and looking down at Honey Lemon in extreme sudden interest.

"What are you saying?"

"Tadashi...what if Hiro was murdered?"

Tadashi went stiff, taking in her theory. It was a very big possibility.

"And above that, why didn't anyone see Hiro's body? They said that it was too morbid for anyone to see, but what if they just didn't find a body? What's in that urn?"

"Honey Lemon, how long have you been piecing all of this together?" Tadashi asked.

"All I'm saying is that there's no reason the masked man couldn't be involved in this. What if Hiro was not only 'murdered' but kidnapped too?"

"You think Hiro is still alive?" Tadashi asked, even more shocked than before.

"Yes! Absolutely I think Hiro is still alive. No body, no explosion, no murder, Tadashi."

Tadashi deflated back into his seat, rubbing a large hand over his face.

"Oh, Tadashi, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't-I shouldn't have told you that. I've just bottled it up for so long, and I-"

"I believe you, Honey Lemon," Tadashi said. A grin spread across Honey Lemon's face as she reached over and took Tadashi's hand in triumph.

"Although I'm 99.9% sure I'm right, don't get your hopes up, okay?" she said, squeezing his hand tightly. Tadashi nodded, a smile crossing his face as well for the first time since Hiro "died."

No promises.

"Hiro! Where are those blueprints?"

"I gave them to you, sir," Hiro said, rolling his eyes as he typed another equation into his calculator.

"Don't try my patience, boy," Krei growled. "People-professionals- are coming to look at your work under our name. Everything needs to be perfect and they want to see our models, notes, and prototypes."

"And that's wonderful, sir, but I'm certain you had my prints last," Hiro groaned. He sketched something on his grid paper before crumbling it up and starting on a new one. "I'm not in charge of keeping track of my notes, I'm in charge of writing them and giving them to you."

"Hiro, for the last time, where are your notes? They'll be here any minute!"

"I said, I don't-"

"Sir?"

Hiro and Krei both whipped their heads toward Abigail. She stood in the doorway, a roll of blue paper clutched in her fists. She gave it to Krei, eyeing the two men in skepticism.

"Ah, yes. Thank you, Abigail," Krei said, straightening his suit and leaving the room. He reminded Abigail to lock the door on her way out, making sure Hiro wouldn't be escaping anytime soon. Abigail walked up to Hiro's desk excitedly.

"Hiro, Operation Escape is almost completely finished!" Abigail grinned.

"You're seriously still working on that?" Hiro asked, adjusting his reading glasses and flipping through his notebook.

"O-of course I am, Hiro. I've been working on it nonstop. You want out, don't you?"

Hiro looked up from his work, nearly wanting to scoff at the question.

"Abigail, I gave up on escape the first month in. They don't feed me here. They don't care about me at all. The have close tabs on me. They threaten me with my family who, by the way, is devastated. I'm just their tool. Of course, I want out of this hell hole. They make me wear a white button-down, a tie, and dress pants. And do you see these bruises? They hurt me, too. But do you really expect that under any circumstances that you'll get me out of here? We'll both get shot, doofus."

"Tadashi knows."

Hiro stared at her in confusion, tilting his head.

"He knows what?"

"I dropped by SFIT to let them know that Krei wanted to meet and discuss new sample ideas when I passed Tadashi's office, and-"

"You saw Tadashi?" Hiro gasped, putting his hands on his desk. "Is he okay? Oh, how is he? How is doing?"

"Not well," Abigail sighed. "I eavesdropped, and he's failing his classes. He's also been drinking in his office. He's really grieving. He misses you so much, Hiro. That's why you need to go home."

Hiro deflated into his seat, running a hand through his already unkempt hair.

"But that's not all," she continued. "Honey Lemon was in his office talking about the hospital you were taken from. She thinks it's all a hoax. How they didn't find a body and how it didn't seem like an explosion."

Hiro couldn't help but grin at this.

"They didn't give up on me," Hiro said with a light laugh. Abigail nodded.

"Exactly, Hiro, and that's why Operation Escape is still underway!" she said. "At this rate, it could be today or tomorrow."

"A-are you serious?" Hiro said, his grin growing wider. "Abigail, why didn't you say so?! This is it!"

I've been telling you, she thought.

"Let's do it tonight," Hiro said, rising from his desk and pacing. "Whatever you need from me, I'll provide it for you. Anything at all."

"T-totally, we can do it tonight!" Abigail said eagerly. "Hiro, we can do it tonight!"

Hiro laughed, rounding his desk and scooping Abigail up in a hug. She was shocked but accepted it nonetheless.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," Hiro repeated. She smiled warmly, pulling out of the hug and taking a file out of her shoulder bag.

"Here's the plan."

That night, the plan was completely bulletproof. They had spent hours calculating every way something might go wrong and solved it, and they even marked each exit on the map of the Krei Tech campus. Abigail asked Krei if she could be on Hiro duty that night. She knew it wouldn't be easy, considering the fact that Krei doesn't trust her already, but he eventually gave in, saying he had "too much" on his plate and that she only had to make sure that Hiro didn't escape.

She had laughed at that request.

Hiro winked at Abigail as his, well, prison cell's doors closed and locked. There was always a security guard in Hiro's cell at night. His name was Tyler, and he always threatened Hiro with punches. He had given him many in his day, but this time, Hiro wasn't afraid.

"Hey, Tyler, has anyone ever told you how ugly you are?" Hiro asked with a smirk. Tyler's eyes widened in rage as he stood from his seat, cracking his knuckles.

"I'm gonna murder you!" he roared, slamming a fist into Hiro chest and face. Hiro felt his nose crack, but he bit down the pain, pulling out a can of pepper spray that Abigail had given him and squirting it in his face. Tyler screamed in pain, ripping at his face.

"AHHH!" he roared in the tiny cell. Abigail unlocked the prison doors, taking Hiro's hand. Hiro hadn't left the cell in one month, seeing as they had given him everything he needed. He had been unconscious when they first brought him down, so seeing the underground hallway he had been held him brought him surprise. He looked up and down the torn down and dull hall, running to keep up with Abigail all the while.

"Phase one: complete," Abigail grinned, taking Hiro's hand and leading him through a flight of stairs. Once at the bottom, they reached a large door, leading to the front of the building. Hiro took the handle.

"No! We're not going that way!"

"But it's the way out?" Hiro said in confusion. Abigail rolled her eyes, pointing to a ventilation shaft just below Hiro's knees. He looked at in hesitation but bent down and tore the cage off anyway. Hiro crawled in first, crawling on his arms through the small space.

"Hiro, you're dripping blood everywhere from your nose," Abigail groaned in disgust.

"Uh, sorry?" Hiro shrugged, stopping at a fork in the vent. "Which way now?"

Before Abigail could respond, however, the building sirens were suddenly roaring, shaking the vents. Hiro looked back at Abigail in shock.

"They found out!" he cried, turning right in the vent and crawling faster.

"Wrong way, Hiro!" Abigail shouted. Hiro didn't listen though. He was crawling faster than he had been, turning another corner. Abigail cursed under her breath, trusting that Hiro had memorized the map enough to know where they were going.

"Look! This way leads outside!" Hiro pointed at a vent opening just ahead, city and starlight glowing through the bars. Hiro and Abigail frantically made their way towards it, and Hiro began banging on the shaft to get it open. The cover fell off, toppling to the grass below. Hiro closed his eyes and took in the fresh air, a warm smile on his face.

"Hiro! HURRY!"

Abigail's shout startled him, and he found himself slipping, realizing that the vent was several feet above the ground. He shouted in horror before he was suddenly falling to the grass below, landing on his arm. His arm cracked loudly upon impact.

"ARGH!" Hiro groaned, gripping his arm in pain. Abigail winced, climbing down the pole on the side of the building.

"Oh, my god, I'm sorry, Hiro!" she cried, bending down to help Hiro up.

"No time," he said in pain, standing up and rubbing his now purple arm. "We have to go. NOW."

Abigail nodded, admiring his pain tolerance for the sake of the mission. They were running to the ladder on the gate of the campus. Abigail went first, hopping over the wall. Hiro hoisted himself up with his good arm.

"GET BACK HERE!" Krei roared from the entrance of the facility. Hiro yelped as Krei began running toward them, and he hopped over the wall after Abigail.

"RUN!" Hiro cried, taking Abigail's hand and running through the streets of San Fransokyo. The two couldn't help grinning as they sprinted down the streets, thunder rumbling above.

Tadashi was thankful he had made Baymax's scanner so complex, because Honey Lemon had a crazy plan.

"This won't work, I'm telling you," Tadashi sighed, guiding Baymax to the docks. Honey Lemon rolled her eyes.

"Have at least a little faith in me, Tadashi," Honey Lemon said hopefully, patting Tadashi's shoulder. He rolled his eyes this time, letting her take Baymax and execute her plan.

"Okay, Baymax. Find Hiro."

Baymax nodded, activating his scanner and turning to scan the entire city. Tadashi watched in anticipation as he did so, focusing on every little thing he did in the process. Baymax suddenly stopped the scan, lifting his finger toward the sky.

"There is a storm coming. Shelter is recommended."

"Baymax, it's fine," Honey Lemon said with a laugh. Tadashi, however, groaned in annoyance, taking out his phone and scrolling through it. Honey Lemon dulled slightly but helped Baymax focus nonetheless.

"Okay, buddy. Let's try that again, alright? This time, don't stop the scan."

Baymax nodded again and reactivated his scanner, spinning around to scan the entire city. His head made a strange sound, until..."

"Hiro spotted on Judge Ely Street, he is accompanied by-"

"WHAT?!" Tadashi gasped, jumping in the car. Honey Lemon laughed in triumph, commanding Baymax to shrink into his port and crawling into the car. Tadashi slammed his foot on the gas, driving off toward the area Hiro was "spotted."

This better be real.

Krei had gotten into his car and had begun chasing after the two young adults, anger coursing through his veins. If anyone found out about the things they did to Hiro, Krei would never see the sun again, and he knew it. So here he was, Hiro and Abigail shining in his headlights. Hiro still gripped his arm in pain, sprinting alongside Abigail.

"Quick! To the docks!"

Hiro didn't think that would work out well but he followed her anyway, nearly slipping due to the rain that had just started to fall. They eventually made it to the ocean side, Krei hot on their tail. Hiro became more and more exhausted by the second as Krei jumped out his car, running toward them.

"Run faster!" Abigail urged Hiro, and they were sprinting away from Krei once again.

Suddenly, a small, white car was coming straight for the two, making them both scream and hug each other in fear. The car skidded to a halt, only slightly bumping them over. Hiro and Abigail immediately jumped to their feet, running away from the car and a running Krei. Hiro heard shouting come from the small white car but he paid it no mind, skidding to a halt as realized they were at a dead end.

"What do we do now?!" Abigail cried, holding onto Hiro's bad arm for dear life. Krei pulled a pistol out of his coat, aiming it right at Abigail. Hiro cried out in alarm, running towards Krei and fighting for the gun.

"Give it to me!" Hiro roared, making sure the gun wasn't pointed at him as they fought in the pouring rain.

"You shouldn't have run from me, you imbisol!" Krei roared. "And, oh, is someone's arm broken?" Krei smirked, twisting Hiro's red and blue arm and making him collapse in pain. Krei slammed the barrel of the gun down on the back of Hiro's head as kneeled and rubbed his arm.

"Hey!"

Hiro snapped his head to the sound of the familiar voice, gasping as Tadashi charged toward Krei. Krei lifted the gun to Tadashi, making him skid to a halt. Hiro rose from the ground, grabbing Krei from behind and choking him. Tadashi gasped at the sight of Hiro, covering his mouth in shock. Krei reached his gun down and shot Hiro in the leg before Hiro shoved him to the ground, his head making hard contact with the gravel. Hiro's heart thumped loudly in his chest, and Abigail was running to his side in an instant, making sure he was alright.

"H-Hiro?"

"Krei reached his gun down and shot Hiro in the leg before Hiro shoved him to the ground, his head making hard contact with the gravel. Hiro's heart thumped loudly in his chest, and Abigail was running to his side in an instant, making sure he was alright.

"Hiro, your leg!"

"I'll be fine, I promise," he assured her in a strained voice. He looked up at Tadashi, standing as quickly as he could and hugging him. Tadashi did the same, grabbing a fistful of Hiro's hair and squeezing his small frame.

"Hiro, Hiro, Hiro," Tadashi whispered, crying a thank you to the God he had doubted just a month ago. Hiro hugged him just as hard, give or take an arm. Honey Lemon and Baymax ran to the brothers.

"Tadashi, Hiro is in a critical state. Hospitalization is highly recommended."

Tadashi nodded, scooping Hiro up and panicking as he realized Hiro had fallen unconscious. He looked up at Abigail and nodded at her.

"Thank you so much for helping him," Tadashi said.

"I'll stay here and make sure Krei makes it to the city prison," she winked, gesturing for Tadashi to go to the car and save Hiro's life. He didn't have to ask, looking at Honey Lemon and sprinting for the car.

"Be safe," Abigail whispered as the rain continued pouring in sheets, dialing 911 into her phone.

this was such a lazy chapter wtf