As Hiro opened his eyes, there was a single glorious moment where he was able to pretend that everything was okay. That Aria was downstairs sleeping on the couch, that Ome wasn't wreaking havoc, that Baymax was waiting patiently downstairs for the newest upgrade, and where his chest didn't feel like a 1000 pound weight had been dropped on it.

But that moment was over quickly. Realization of what had happened came crashing in around him almost as soon as the pain blossomed from his chest, knocking him back against his pillow. He'd been knocked unconscious, he remembered. Several fleeting visions of being carried through a hospital flashed in his memory; he must have had been drifting in and out of consciousness. And now, here he was, waking up the next morning, feeling as if Death itself had round-house kicked him in the face.

"Ugg, it hurts to breathe," he groaned, reluctant to sit back up. "Why does it hurt to breathe?"

"Three of your ribs have been broken." As if on cue, Baymax came shuffling up the stairs.

"Ribs? Ugg, what happened?" He was able to finally sit up, leaning forward heavily, and glanced at the robot. "Did Ome do this?"

"No. I am sorry to say that it was I who injured you. I violated my health care protocol."

"What?...How'd you do that?" He really couldn't remember much of the battle yesterday; the last thing that was truly clear in his mind was seeing Aria sail through the air, unable to stop herself as she was on a direct collision course with several steel beams…

"You directed me to catch Aria before she collided with an adjacent building," Baymax said, walking over and setting down a plate of food, no doubt straight from Aunt Cass. Baymax did make a good delivery boy. "I voiced concern, but you insisted. Once I caught her, the force of the impact drove all three of us into a steel beam, with you caught between." Hiro held his hand to his chest, trying to compartmentalize the uncomfortable tightness he felt.

"…Right…I think I remember," he said, wracking his brain. "You told me that I would likely by pinned if we tried to catch her, didn't you?"

"Yes, that is correct." Hiro nodded slightly. He did remember. He also remembered the panic of seeing Aria fall like that. She was so small; it was like watching a ragdoll get thrown off that roof. She would have been mangled if they hadn't caught her. Looking around, he half expected to see her asleep at the desk or something, but she wasn't in the loft at all.

"Where's Aria?" he asked, startled to see Baymax shrug.

"She is not in the house," the robot said, in that unaffected tone of his.

"What do you mean, not in the house?" Hiro's heart began to beat faster, pumping painfully against his damaged rib cage. "Like, she left? Where did she go? Baymax, where is she?"

"She did not say. I believe she did not know I saw her leave. At 5 am this morning, she came down to the lab, retrieved her helmet and armor, and left through the alleyway. She did not leave a note." Baymax was just a robot, he could not worry like Hiro could. But seeing Hiro's negative reaction to this news, and from the scans he was taking of his brain activity, he knew this was distressing to his patient and friend. "Is this problematic?"

"Yes! Of course it is! Did she just run away? What, because we lost!?" He tried to swing his legs over the edge of the bed to stand, but doubled over, his hands on his knees, breathing hard.

"Please do not try to stand. You need rest and time to heal," Baymax urged, gently pressing on his shoulder to get him to lay back down. Hiro tried to brush him off.

"I have to find her!" Hiro said, but again, was held back by Baymax. "Baymax, let me go!"

"You are in no condition to leave," Baymax said. "I will retrieve Aria for you."

"Are you gonna scan the city for her?" Hiro asked, and Baymax nodded slowly. "Okay…okay, find her, and bring her back here." He sat down, like Baymax wanted, and put his head in his hands. Why would she have run away? Did she blame herself? Maybe Gogo said something to her while he was unconscious? He'd have to text the team and see if they knew anything.

"Do not worry," Baymax said, patting Hiro's head. "I will find her."

"Please do."

It was dark out. That's all Aria knew. There was large bags under her eyes, and as she sat up in Hiro's bed, she knew she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep. What little sleep she'd had had been plagued by nightmares of what had happened that day, and each time she woke up in a cold sweat.

'I have to clear my head,' she thought desperately, staring at Hiro in his sleep. He was sleeping better now, it seemed, and for that she was grateful. His face looked so flawless when he was sleeping soundly. She wanted to reach out and touch his cheek, but she was afraid of disturbing his calm slumber. He deserved a bit of time where he wasn't in pain. He deserved more than that, really, but right now, that was all Aria could give him.

Standing, she made her way downstairs, to the garage. It was probably super early, she thought, but maybe that was a good thing. 'I just need to meditate again, the absolute quiet,' she told herself, 'Like the other night. Really focus and concentrate. That'll clear my head.' Opening the garage door, she stepped out into the driveway, and sat down on the cold concrete. Crossing her legs and setting her hands on her knees, she closed her eyes, and slowed her breathing. In, two three four. Hold, two three four. Out, two three four. Over and over, until the rhythm seemed natural.

She soaked in the silence. There was no breeze so early in the pre-dawn morning, no birds. Everything was still. Quiet. Letting her consciousness extend past her body, she began to feel the familiar rumblings and churnings of the Earth, deep below the ground. It was relaxing, keeping track of the subtle shifts of the tectonic plates. Even something so huge, so volatile, could seem calming and gentle. It was hard to believe the plates that sung such low, sweet melodies below the surface of the world were the same forces that created Earthquakes and tsunamis.

As she sat, attuned to the inner mechanisms of the Earth, she began to feel somewhat of a disturbance on the edge of her consciousness. What was that, ruining her glorious peacefulness? It was annoying, like a mosquito. It felt like tiny prickling, and she decided to try and explore what it was. Focusing on that one tiny magnetic inconsistence, she felt it coming further into focus. It almost felt like…waves? Little waves. Small in the grand scheme of the world but not like the regular footsteps of someone walking normally. What was this sensation?

It hit her like a train, where she'd felt waves like this before. It had to be Ome. No one else on Earth could disturb the magnetic spectrum, not like she or Ome could. She couldn't tell what he was doing, or even exactly where he was, but as she opened her eyes, she could tell in what direction she would find him.

'Hiro's hurt because of me,' she thought dismally, 'but I can make up for it. I can make up for the life I wasn't able to save yesterday. I can't let anyone else get hurt.' She swallowed hard, before turning on her heel towards the garage. Snatching up her armor and helmet, she changed quickly, and then returned to the driveway, looking up at the dark sky. 'No one else can fight this battle. It's just me, and Ome. This is how it's going to end.' And with that, she took off in the direction of the magnetic disturbance.

The closer Aria got to Ome, the stronger she could feel his power reverberating through the Earth. It was like riding out shock waves. To the average person, it would have been undetectable, but to Aria, it made her legs feel like mush. And before long, she began to realize where this game of hot and cold was leading her.

It wasn't hard to get to the top of the bridge. But it sure wasn't any place Aria wanted to be. The huge support towers of the Golden Gate Bridge were hundreds upon hundreds of feet up, and while she had been higher before, and she knew if she fell, she could save herself, it still made her feel uneasy to be up so high. Not to mention she was deep within a thick cloud of fog, so she couldn't see two feet in front of her. She didn't have to see, though, to know Ome was on one of the other support towers. She could feel him, loud and clear.

"Well, well, well," she heard him say, making the skin on the back of her neck crawl. "Aria, what a surprise! I hadn't been expecting you back so soon. I would have thought you'd be away with those other children, licking your wounds." She whipped her head around, trying to locate the precise source of the voice, but it didn't work. It sounded like he was speaking from all around her. "Unless…you've come to your senses?"

It made her gasp, when he finally revealed himself. He was so close. Stepping out of the fog, seemingly and probably from thin air, he was on the support beam right beside her, smiling that wicked, crazy smile of his. "Are you finally here to join me?"

"I'm here to talk sense into you," Aria said, backing up as far as she could go, without stepping out into the air. "Ome, I know what you're going through. The others, they don't. But I do. I know how desperate you feel. How isolated. Alone. I understand you." His face was impassive as she spoke, and she wondered if he was even listening. "But this…this isn't the way. You're not going to help anything or anyone by kidnapping and…and hurting people."

"Ah!" he finally spoke, grinning once more. "I'm so glad you brought that up; I actually have our little friend with me!" He flicked his wrist into the fog, in some vague direction, and almost immediately, Aria heard someone groan, before Ome floated Dr. Hattingsfeild into view. He dropped the poor man on the beam he stood on, at his feet. "What a weak little man, this one. Barely has the strength to stand up anymore." He nudged him slightly with his shoe, and Aria felt a fire ignited in her belly.

"Let him go, Ome," she said, keeping the fire from her voice. "He doesn't deserve this torture! He's just a man, for God's sakes! He made a mistake! You need to get past it!"

"Oh, sweet, innocent Aria," Ome cooed, lifting the man once more, putting his hands on either side of his head. "You think people like him ever learn? No. He'll keep on making mistakes. Keep on ruining innocent lives. He must pay. But, don't worry dear. I'm not going to kill him, oh no." He flicked his wrist again, and this time, Aria was once again lifted off her feet, held struggling in the air by Ome. "I've perfected my art; would you like to see?"

"Don't hurt him!" she gasped, but Ome was in no mood to listen. Pressing against the sides of Dr. Hattingsfeild's head, the poor man immediately tensed, wracked with a pain Aria couldn't imagine. His teeth were pressed tightly together as he grimaced painfully, and Ome just chuckled. Finally he let Hattingsfeild go, and the doctor slumped to Ome's feet, too weak to do anything else. Aria wondered how many times he'd been subjected to this. "You monster!" she snarled, enraged at the innocent man's treatment, and at being suspended, helpless like this. "Let me go and fight like a man, you coward!"

"Let you go? You keep insisting that I let you go. Well, alright, if that's what you want." He smirked as his hand twitched, and once again, Aria was sent flying. She was prepared this time, and almost immediately righted herself, using the momentum to crash into Ome, pushing him off the support beam, and sending them both into a freefall. Then, planting her feet into his stomach, she used him like a springboard, launching him faster towards the ground. Catching herself, she climbed back to the top of the beam, where Hattingsfeild lay. He looked like a little broken doll.

"I've got you," she said, quickly trying to scoop him into her arms. She was very small, and Hattingsfeild was a grown man. But maybe it was just the adrenaline, because she managed to pick him up, albeit shakily. She intended to carry him to the ground, but what she hadn't anticipated was for Ome to return so quickly; he hadn't even hit the ground before righting himself, launching back up to where Aria stood, holding the doctor.

"Little bitch!" Ome snarled, colliding with the girl. Losing her footing at the edge, Dr. Hattingsfeild slipped from her arms, and was tossed over the side. He was not magnetic, like the two squabbling at the top of the bridge, and began to plummet fast. Planting her foot in Ome's face as he tried to grab for her neck, she kicked hard, and let herself tumble over the edge after Hattingsfeild. She caught up to him easily, but it was halting his momentum that was the hard part. Not to mention the cars below; the sun was just starting to rise, and San Fransokyo was just starting to wake up and go to work. If the fall didn't kill them, a car hitting them would.

"You're too heavy!" Aria groaned, holding the now-unconscious Hattingsfeild around the waist, pushing her feet downwards, resisting the ground with all her might. It took her full concentration to stop their downward force, and even then, they hit the ground and tumbled. The screech of a car could be heard, and she looked up just in time to see a driver come to a screaming stop.

"Perfect!" she breathed, scrabbling up. She didn't stop to try and see where Ome was; the fog prevented that anyway. She grabbed Hattingsfeild and dragged him up to the now-stopped car.

"What the f-" the driver began to swear as he opened the door to see a small girl in orange armor dragging an unconscious man by the arm. "What the hell!?"

"Take him to the nearest hospital, now!" Aria huffed, shoving Hattingsfeild into the driver's arms. He started to protest, but Aria shook her head, shoving them both inside the car. "NOW! Don't stop for anything or anyone. GO!" Slamming the door, Aria looked up to see Ome descending on them. She knew he was going to try and throw the car, and she had to stop him. Summoning up every ounce of focus and strength, she climbed on top of the car, fists clenched hard.

As expected, Ome landed on the road, hard, halting several other cars behind him, and with a flick of his hand, the car underneath Aria's feet nudged forward. This seemed to startle the driver enough to take Aria seriously, and he quickly took off, Aria still on the roof. Her hands were held out in front of her, shielding the vehicle from Ome's magnetic manipulations, but only barely. Realizing what she was doing, Ome took off after them, but was again thwarted when Aria leapt off the car, landing a bit shakily, and pushed him back once more.

Again and again he tried to follow, and again and again Aria halted him. He finally let out one last frustrated scream as Aria managed to lift him from the ground, pinning him to the nearest steel cable. By then, the car was long gone, and off the bridge.

"YOU STUPID GIRL!" he screamed, pulling himself free of her control. "Don't EVER say I didn't give you a chance to surrender!" The cars around them were stopped now, both in shock and fright of what was happening on the road. Aria backed up, trying to get out of his radius of control, but it was too slow, she felt him take magnetic control of her armor, and slam her down on the concrete. Her stomach flipped immediately following, as she was flung up in the air.

'Catch yourself!' she screamed in her head, but it wasn't working; no matter how hard she attempted to repel herself from the ground, it just kept getting closer. She opened her mouth to shriek in terror, throwing her hands in front of her face to shield her head, but was stopped by Ome, just before hitting the ground again.

"I'll show you exactly what I do with people who defy me," Ome snarled, launching himself upwards, and dragging Aria with him. As she was dragged limply, up through the air, she could feel the power radiating from him, just like yesterday. With a sinking feeling, she realized what was about to happen.

Ome set his feet once again on the top of the bridge. He held his arm up, holding Aria in the air, and smirked.

"I wanted so badly to teach you," he said, "and God knows I tried to reach out to you. But I see now that you would always be weak. Look at you; can't even break free of me."

"Go to hell," she whispered, knowing that anything she said now wouldn't affect what he was already going to do. He frowned, though. She knew he wanted her to beg him for mercy, and she wasn't going to give him that satisfaction.

"That scientist I exterminated?" he said, giving her a cruel smile, "you can tell him I said hello, when you see him in hell." And with that, he let her go. Aria didn't even attempt to catch herself. She could feel the magnetic field around her shifting, stacking against her. Ome was forcing her down, towards the water with so much force, even if she'd been practicing with her powers for years, she couldn't overcome it.

'I saved Hattingsfeild,' she thought as she fell, her eyes beginning to water, though she didn't know if it was from emotion or the wind against her face. 'At least I did that. Hiro will find out, and know I did something good, instead of just messing everything up. I did good. And this is enough.' She was completely limp as she fell, and she knew this was how it was going to end. No one could survive an impact with the water at this velocity. But at least it would be quick. She closed her eyes.

The impact didn't feel like she thought it would. It felt much more…horizontal, than she thought it would be. Her eyes snapped open, wondering if she was dead already, but instead of her watery grave, she was greeted by bright red chest-plating. What was she looking at? Twisting her neck up, she was greeted by the face of Baymax, behind his helmet display.

"Hello, Aria," he said in that calm voice of his. She was speechless. Baymax was holding her in his arms as he flew, and she craned her neck to look back past his shoulder, wondering if she could see Ome. She couldn't, they were moving too fast, and it was too foggy. But what she could feel were the intense magnetic reverberations he was letting off from the top of the bridge. Baymax's flying was shaky, she noticed, from it, but he kept going. He was rescuing her.

"Ome's gonna be mad that you saved me," Aria said quietly, a little bit numb from the experience of preparing to die. Baymax didn't say anything to that, probably because his programming didn't know how to respond. But as they flew, no doubt back to the Lucky Cat Café, Aria was weightless. Emotionless. She felt…weirdly at peace. And she didn't quite know why.