Chapter Summary: Tadashi and Baymax went out patrolling to test out their new skills in the darkest alleys of San Fransokyo.
Disclaimer: I don't own Big Hero 6 and its characters.
Notes: Okay, this chapter is pretty much of "filler" but it's going to feature more Tadashi and Baymax's desire to help and protect people, and need more reasons to start a superhero team later into the story.
Tadashi and Baymax were ready to leave but the inventor realized his costume is missing something. Something that will inspire him to become a hero... He made a super-quick trip to his bedroom and picked up a red handkerchief from his closet without a second thought. He wrapped it around his neck. Now he looks like a potential protector of San Fransokyo.
Making sure Aunt Cass had gone to bed, Tadashi and Baymax sneaked out of the garage and quietly headed down a brick alley before they are seen. Tadashi was so grateful that the neighborhood became quiet and empty at this hour but and his robot continued to remain close to the shadows. He could feel his chest pounding hard against his chest and his hands are shaking-he has never done this before and one mistake would be curtains for him.
Baymax sensed Tadashi's nervousness and placed a comforting hand on his creator's shoulder. "Your heartbeat is accelerated," he told him as he followed closely behind. "You are experiencing shortness of breath and your skin has started perspiring."
"You noticed, huh?" Tadashi asked. He stopped and looked at Baymax with a nervous smile. "I'm a little scared for a while now. Kind of pathetic, huh?"
"It's not pathetic," Baymax said. "It's a natural physical reaction when experiencing nerves, stress, or anxiety. This kind of reaction is driven by the production of hormones and equip you to fight or escape from situations that are dangerous or threatening. This is known as the fight or flight response."
"Well, I won't be fleeing at all," Tadashi said, smiling gratefully. He held Baymax's hand tight. "I'm so glad you're here, Baymax. With you along, I feel a whole lot braver."
They continued walking and sneaking into dark, forgotten alleyways while the evening fog blurs the soft neon lights of the city. Tadashi could feel his fear slowly fading away and being replaced by confidence since he has Baymax to keep him from getting in over his head. His irritation at Baymax contacting his friends earlier was also pushed away from his mind. He then recalled seeing Honey's hurt expression and hearing Wasabi shouting at him after they went through the trouble of seeing him. Tadashi felt his innards squeezed with discomfort; he knows they meant well and he realized he'd been wrong to drive them away.
"Hey Baymax," he began slowly. "Do you think my friends would still accept me after the way I treated them?"
"Wasabi and Honey are your friends, same with Gogo and Fred," the caregiver bot replied. "I don't know the full story of your actions towards them, but you were grieving and it's understandable. However, I believe they will welcome you back with open arms."
Tadashi smiled. The thought of him returning back his normal life and hang out with his friends again after his mission is over gave him hope.
"Tadashi, where are we going? This is not the way to warehouse where the masked man lives."
"We're not going the warehouse tonight," Tadashi answered. "We're just going to patrol around the city a bit and test your new skills. I have this idea that after catching the masked man, we can be sorta protectors of this city. Between healing the sick and injured, and protecting innocents from random crime- we can help so many people."
Baymax tried to keep up with his creator, waddling quickly under his armor. He looked comical. "What place is this?"
"Oh, a place where you can find illegal botfighting rings. You'd be surprised to see how people can get violent if they lose or get hustled."
Tadashi heard some loud cheering and yelling in the distance and he made Baymax stick closer to him. He saw a large rowdy crowd up ahead, and the two hide behind a dumpster to watch. They saw two tough-looking men wearing identical headbands holding their own robots in the air after they defeated their opponents.
"The winners of Double Bot Battle, going on a seven-winning streak-The Banzai Brothers!" the eye-patched wearing female referee boomed.
The crowds cheered for the two men who kissed their thick wads of cash. "Ban-zai Bro-thers! Ban-zai Bro-thers!"
"Who's next?" the taller of the two, obviously the older one, demanded. "Who has the guts to step into the ring to take on our Bonsai Bombers?"
Tadashi saw a few people hiding their bots behind their backs and the remains of the defeated robots being unceremoniously thrown onto a pile of other dismembered opponents. He hissed in disapproval at how people can just treat robots as fighting, destructive machines and then tossing them away like trash.
"C-can we try?" a small timid voice spoke up.
The crowd went quiet and parted away to reveal a young, dark-haired boy who seemed to be around Hiro's age. He is accompanied by a taller, older young man who may be his relative or friend. The two of them are holding their own robots, though the younger boy's bot looked to be bad in shape.
The referee looked at the new competitors and glared at the older boy. "Hey, you. Bot-fighting isn't for little kids and their toy robots. Ask your kid brother to leave."
"He's not my brother, he's my cousin," the older boy corrected her as he adjusted his glasses. "Don't worry, he won't mess up. ... Right, Yasuo?" He turned to his little cousin, giving him a look.
The younger boy nodded as he held his fighting bot nervously close to him. He looked like he didn't want to be here tonight. Tadashi felt as though he wanted to run up to him and take him away from this place.
"You have to pay to play," the older Banzai Brother snarled.
"We have enough," the older cousin said as he takes out several bills. "Are you scared you can't take on the both of us?"
"I like your spunk," the Banzai Brother said, smirking as he crossed his arms. "What do we call you?"
"Yuan and Yasuo Lee. The Y's Guys."
"I th-thought we're supposed to go as the Y-Lee Duo, c-cuz it's a pun on 'wily' and-" the boy named Yasuo whispered to him.
"Not now, Yasuo."
"Aww, are you gonna cry when we wreck your widdle robot, widdle boy?" the younger Banzai Brother nastily mocked Yasuo. The crowds laughed with him while the boy blushed with embarrassment.
Tadashi watched the Lee cousins and the Banzai Brothers placed their cash inside a dish. Baymax leaned close to his creator. "The smaller boy seems to be suffering some sort of heart condition," he stated.
"Baymax, you can scan him from this distance?" Tadashi asked him, impressed.
"Hey, Fujita!" the younger Banzai Brother winked at the eye-patched referee. "You wanna hang out with this stud after this? I can show you the fireworks, baby~!"
"In your dreams!" Fujita frowned. "After that crazy stunt you did with my sisters last night, the only fireworks you'll be seeing is after I punch you in the face later afterwards."
The crowed oohed. Tadashi watched as the match began to start. The Banzai Brothers' rocket-shaped robots Bonsai Bombers moved along the ring in rough synchronization, taking on the Lee cousins' unnamed Asian dragon-shaped bots. The Lee cousins don't seem to be fighting together since Yuan's bot keep pushing Yasuo's bot aside.
"Don't get in my way, your job is to distract them," Yuan growled at his cousin sitting next to him.
"B-but I wanna fight too," Yasuo said quietly.
"Bored now," the older Banzai Brother said. "Time to end this fight now, bro!"
The Banzai Brothers then pressed a button on their remotes and shouted in unison, "Bonsai Bombers Special Secret Attack- Double Trouble!"
Feeling some sort secondhand embarrassment, Tadashi muttered, "Calling your attacks in fight... really?"
The Bonsai Bombers suddenly buzzed and bounched high into the air. Then bots rocket down faster than a bullet towards the Lee cousins' robots. Yasuo quickly managed to moved his dragon-bot out of the way in time. Yuan's bot, however, was not so lucky.
The two bots strike Yuan's bot, causing an explosive impact in the ring. When the smoke cleared, Yuan's dragon-bot was smashed to pieces while the Bonsai Bombers remained standing still without a scratch. The Banzai Brothers laughed cockily at Yuan's flabbergasted face but they didn't notice Yasuo's bot is still active.
Yasuo realizing that this his moment to shine. He moved the joystick of his remote control and his bot spring quickly around the ring, striking Bonsai Bombers's bodies with such deadly force and making surprising huge dents on the bots' backs much to the surprise of everyone in the crowd. The Banzai Brothers desperately tried to move their robots but it seemed the special finishing movie they put in their bots have render them immobile. Tadashi found himself cheering for young Yasuo.
"Looks like I found some weak spots," Yasuo said, smiling. "Shingo... Finish them!"
Yasuo's robot then coiled its long body around both the Bonsai Bombers, trapping them in a tight grip, and tore into their backs with its bite, destroying them completely. The fight is over and the whole audience was stunned. Shingo the dragon-bot made a happy chirp and went back to its owner. Yasuo was beaming with joy but his expression was soon replaced with fear when the Banzai Brothers suddenly moved toward him. He backed into the wall, pale with fear.
"You cheated!" the younger Banzai Brother screamed. "You must be that Hiro Hamada brat who hustled Yama months ago!"
"W-What? Hiro Hamada? I'm n-not him, but I do know him!" Yasuo squeaked. "W-we went to the same high s-school together, but I haven't seen him-YUAN, HELP ME!"
"Tough luck," Yuan grumbled as he stood nearby, giving him a dark look. He appeared to be rather pissed that Yasuo allowed him to get his robot destroyed.
Tadashi glanced at the crowd and was outraged that nobody is going to stop two full-grown men ready to beat up a young boy. Yasuo tried to escape but the older Banzai Brother grabbed him by the front of his shirt. The young boy is starting to hyperventilate, but nobody seemed to care to help him. It reminded Tadashi the night he had to rescue Hiro from Yama and his men.
"This shall be a lesson to never mess with us," the older Banzai Brother growled pulling back a tight fist.
Yasuo closed his eyes tight and screamed in terror, bracing for the punch. Tadashi had enough of watching. He jumped out from behind the dumpster.
"Hold it right there!"
All heads turned to see a slender young man wearing teal-colored armor and a dark eyeshield covering half of his face. Tadashi stood tall and crossed his arms as he glared to the crowd, especially towards the direction of the Banzai Brothers.
"Two full-grown men picking on a kid because they lost a fight? You're a couple of sore losers," he said, trying to sound all heroic and cool. "And I'm ashamed of all the gambling and mistreatment of robotic inventions going around here."
"Who the heck are you?" The younger Banza Brother demanded. "And what kind of sentai-baloney monkey suit are you wearing?"
"I am..." Tadashi paused, realizing that he never thought of giving himself a nickname since he was so busy trying upgrade himself and Baymax so they can catch the masked man. He thought quickly without trying to look like a fool. "My real name is not important! But you can call me... Big Heroman!"
"That's stupid," Yuan commented, wearing a deadpan expression. "And you took that Heroman name from anime."
"Hey, gimme a break! This is my first night on the job!"
"Don't worry," the younger Banzai Brother said as he pulled out a long lead pipe out of nowhere. "I'll help you get you a new name... How does Minced Meat sounds like?"
He then dashed towards Tadashi, ready to swing it at his head. The inventor moved to a fighting stance.
"Lil' Banzai Brother Super Attack- Pipe Bash!"
Tadashi was ready for him. As the pipe swing down, the robotics student blocked it with his carbon-fiber gauntlet. Then he used a free hand to strike the man straight into his chin, knocking him backwards. The younger Banzai brother fell down, all knocked out.
"You know, calling out your moves when you're about to attack isn't going to be effective," Tadashi said to him. He then saw the older Banzai Brother furiously approaching him. "Hey, sorry about what I did to your brother-"
"He's not my brother, we're not even related!" The older Banzai Brother shouted. "We just played in the same mariachi band together!"
"Oh, really? Well, that would explain why you're uglier than him."
The Banzai Brother yelled and tried to him him, but Tadashi casually dodged his attacks and blocked his blows. At least the older 'brother' is more skilled in battle. They danced around while the crowd moved back as they continue to watch. Tadashi waited for an opening before landing a kick to the older Banzai Brother's gut, sending him flying into the mounds of dismembered robots. Tadashi thought the fight was over, but he saw several men circling him, with their fists and weapons up. The crowd realized this is getting dangerous and they quietly fled before they get hurt.
"Cocky punk, coming in here and dressed up like a dumb hero," one of them said as he twirl a rusty chain. "Playtime is over for you!"
"Hey, come now. These guys were just gonna beat up a kid-" Tadashi was about to reason with them when he saw Baymax finally made his appearance and stood awkwardly next to him.
"Hello, I am Baymax," the robot greeted them with a wave of his hand.
"Baymax, good timing!" Tadashi exclaimed.
"Is that a giant fighting robot?" one of the men asked.
"Doesn't matter what that thing is-we'll just turn them both into scrap metal!"
The men made their attack. Tadashi instructed Baymax to go for defense and attack when Tadashi ordered him. Tadashi fought off the men with his karate-skilled fists and kicks while Baymax protected his creator from the tougher men with their weapons. He controlled his strength by making sure he doesn't break their bodies like the wooden boards he trained back in the garage. Several men fell unconscious and the remaining few decided to run away in fear. The only remain in the area are Tadashi and Baymax, and the boy Yasuo who, was staring at them in awe as he holds his dragon-bot.
"Wow!" Yasuo said, his jaw dropped. "Y-you were cool. Are y-you two superheroes?"
"In a way, yes," Tadashi smiled and went over to him. He placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and crouch down to see him on an eye level. "Listen. This place is dangerous, you can't come here again. In fact, you should quit going to illegal gambling rings all together and play botfighting with kids your own age just to be safe."
"I know, but..." Yasuo trailed off, looking embarrassed. "The reason I came here is because Yuan forced me, and... I thought I could see Hiro Hamada."
Tadashi was taken surprise by this. Why does this kid want to meet his little brother?
"W-we're not in the same class so I don't know him that well," Yasuo continued as he played with his dragon-bot with his hands. He stared down at his feet shyly. "But we talked b-before in high school and he inspired me with his genius and creativity, and got me to take up b-botfighting while I was trying to deal with my asthma and heart c-condition."
He paused to catch his breath. A faint blush appeared on his face. "He said that he can't wait we b-battle each other with our bots, but I haven't heard from him ever since he graduated while I was still a freshman."
"He..." Tadashi wanted to tell Yasuo that Hiro died in an accident, but he couldn't bring himself to tell him the truth. "I bet he'd be so thrilled to meet you again and fight with someone like you. Your robot was amazing in that ring, by the way."
"Really?" Yasuo's eyes sparkled with joy. "M-my Shingo is alright, be he needed some adjustments..."
Just then, his cousin Yuan appeared and grabbed his arm. "There you are! I've been looking all over you. We're going home or the cops will be here."
"Just a moment," Tadashi stopped him. He crossed his arms. "I've been observing the way you treated your cousin earlier, and I don't like how you allowed those two men ready to hurt him. You better shape up your attitude and learn to appreciate him while he's still around, otherwise you'll regret someday."
Yuan looked a little ashamed for being told off. He sighed and looked at Yasuo.
"So, um... Your robot fought good, and we did win thanks to you," he said in an awkward tone. "So, I guess... sorry?"
Yasuo just nodded and held his hand. "Let's go home, cousin. Th-thanks for bringing me here."
The Lee cousins were about to leave but Baymax stopped them. He then offered Yasuo a lollipop which the young boy happily took and thanked the huge robot. The scene reminded Tadashi of Baymax giving Hiro a lollipop. While his heart ached as usual, he was smiling.
Tadashi and Baymax returned home without trouble and they went upstairs without disturbing Aunt Cass. Tadashi decided to leave both his and Baymax's new armor in the garage so there's no risk of them being discovered. The inventor changed into his bed clothes and fell on his bed. It's been an exhausting day and so many things happened. He looked up to his bedside table and saw the memorial photo of Hiro. He reached out and takes the photo so he can stare longingly into his brother's haunting face.
Baymax walked to his inventor. "Tonight was rather interesting, Tadashi," he said. "I am slowly beginning to understand how karate makes me a better healthcare companion."
"I'm glad you thought of that," he said as he placed the photo back on top of the table before curling up in his bed.
"May I ask why the sudden interest of becoming a heroic acts?" The caregiver bot asked curiously.
"Oh, well..." Tadashi sat up and looked at his robot directly. "Hiro was a huge fan of sentai and fighting robots, and all the cool stuff kids his age loves. I just thought that... maybe it'll feel like he's alive if I upgraded you and dressed up as a superhero even though he's gone. Learning these new skills, the armor suits... It's like we're becoming heroes to not only catch the masked man and bring my brother justice, but also cement our roles as classic guardians of this city. I regretted a lot of things, but not this one. I feel like I can make so much of a difference if I take action."
Baymax listened to all this before patting Tadashi's head affectionately. "You must be so tired, your body needs eight hours of sleep," he said.
"I know, but... I haven't gotten good sleep lately," Tadashi sighed as he rested his head back on the pillow. "And it's not because I'm unable to fall asleep. It's the nightmares... I keep waking every time that night replays in my head. I keep dreaming of losing my brother again and again..."
Baymax left his side for a bit before getting a paper and pencil, and giving it to him. Tadashi stared at it in confusion.
"What is this?" he asked.
"Imagery rehearsal treatment is a promising cognitive behavioral therapy for recurrent nightmares, or nightmares caused by PTSD," Baymax replied. "It's a simple but a very effective process."
"Um, I don't know..." Tadashi become reluctant. He always believed that nothing would help him sleep peacefully, but since Baymax assisted him earlier tonight in the alleyways, he will try out this treatment. "... Alright, how does this work?"
Baymax explained, holding up his finger in a professional manner, "First, you jot down a brief description of a recent nightmare. If your most recent nightmare is too upsetting to think about, pick another. Second, think of a way to change the nightmare. I suggest to rely on your intuition to make an appropriate change. And then third, set aside a few minutes each day to imagine this altered version of the nightmare. Simply paint a mental picture of the altered version."
"So, that's it?" Tadashi asked, raising an eyebrow. "I just write down a nightmare and change it and picture it in my mind? That's crazy." He sighed and rubbed his neck. "Alright, big guy. I'll do this for you."
"Not for me. Do this for you."
Tadashi chuckled as he tried to write down his recurring nightmare, but it felt painful to write down the details since the memory was still fresh in his mind. The hardest part is making the right change of the nightmare; how does one change a blazing inferno into something more pleasant? He racked his brain but he came up with nothing.
"I need examples of a good change," he said to Baymax.
"How about a pleasant memory, something from your childhood?" the robot suggested.
Tadashi think again until he thought up something perfect. He wrote down the details of the dream, before settling comfortably in his bed. "Let's hope this works, buddy."
Baymax pulled the blanket over his creator and patted his head good-night. "I will be nearby in case you need me." He then walked over to his charging station, leaving Tadashi alone.
The inventor closed eyes and breathed deeply, letting himself fall into sleep and focusing on his re-imagined nightmare...
"Hiro!" Tadashi's echoed voiced called out to his brother while the showcase burned before him. Why did he leave him alone? He has to go in there to save him!
Tadashi ran up the stairs, feeling the intense heat on his skin.
He was halfway there when the explosion happened, and he was thrown back in slow-motion.
No! My brother's in there! No, this can't be happening... Please, let me have a nice dream-!
Wait... My brother can't be in there... The fire didn't happen at all... There was no showcase...
He was still continuing backwards as the light engulfed him completely. When he landed, he saw orange, red, and yellow everywhere.
But they weren't flames.
"Tadashi! ... Tadashi!"
Tadashi sat up and saw Hiro standing on a swing, moving back and forth while laughing at him. Tadashi looked down and saw him lying in a huge pile of fallen leaves. He realized this was autumn.
"Catch me, knucklehead!" Hiro shouted as he leaps from the swing and fell into his big brother's arms.
The two disappeared into the leaves and when they finally emerged, they were eight years younger again. The two laughed blissfully as they throw and rolled around in the leaves without a care in the world.
Then they heard their Aunt Cass in the distance.
"Boys, it's lunch. Get your spicy chicken wings!"
"Last one's there a rotten egg!" Eleven-year-old Tadashi said, already making a head start.
Six-year-old Hiro tried to follow him but he tripped over and cried in pain. Tadashi stopped and hurried back to him.
"Hiro?! Are you alright?"
Hiro suddenly gave a cheeky grin. "Sucker!" he stuck his tongue out at him and ran ahead. There was no scratch on him at all.
Tadashi rolled his eyes but he joined up with his family. The three of them sat on a picnic blanket and enjoyed their hot wings while they watch more orange leaves fall around them. Hiro yawned and placed his head on Tadashi's lap before he dozed off. Tadashi didn't mind and stroked his fluffy hair.
It was the most perfect day ever.
When Tadashi woke up the following morning, it was bright outside his window. He felt strangely refreshed. For the first time in weeks, he didn't wake up feeling terrified and helpless. He saw Baymax waiting nearby.
"Did you sleep well, Tadashi?" he asked in a kind tone. "No troubling dreams?"
Tadashi ran a hand through his hair, feeling oddly peaceful. "I think so," he said. He thought of something; he has to go find his aunt. "Will you excuse me, I'll be right back."
The inventor walked down the stairs and saw his aunt putting away some stuff before she opens the cafe. She was surprised to see him up.
"Tadashi, hey," Cass greeted him with a smile. "Do you want any breakfast, sweetie?"
"Um, yeah, I do actually," Tadashi said. "But I'll fix it myself, don't worry about it. Anyways, I have something to ask from you."
Cass approached, giving him her full attention. "Sure, what is it?"
Tadashi inhaled and hold her shoulders. "Can you fix me a plate of your spicy chicken wings tonight for dinner? I feel like having some."
"Wait, are you sure?" Cass asked in surprise. "I thought you lost interest in them."
"Well, something came up and... I had a good sleep and I feel like eating some. It's a good feeling!" Tadashi tried to explain the best he can to her, Cass finally got his message. She made a big smiled and pulled her nephew into a tight hug.
"Honey, I'm so glad to hear that," she said. "I'll make plenty tonight and we'll be feeling them tomorrow in the morning. Anyways, I gotta go. Got a cafe to run."
Aunt Cass skipped off, squealing and rambling happily. Tadashi felt Mochi curling up against his legs, purring with joy. The inventor realized things are starting to go better for him. However, he still has a masked man to catch. Tonight after dinner, he and Baymax will be returning to the warehouse.
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Notes: The characters Fujita and the Banzai Brothers are more or less based on the deleted villains from the Big Hero 6 artbook, and I've been wanting to put them somewhere in a fic.
Here's a fun trivia: When Tadashi calls himself Big Heroman, I made a reference to a real manga/anime series called "Heroman". It's about a boy and his robot (sounds familiar to BH6, eh?) and the story is written by Stan Lee! There is even a caricature of Stan Lee who appears multiple times in the anime and manga.