Chapter Summary: Big Hero 6 tries to stop Tadashi from escaping the city. Meanwhile, Abigail has plans to upgrade another Baymax robot...
Disclaimer: I don't own Big Hero 6 and its characters.
Night finally came and three members of Big Hero 6 stood on top of a tall shopping mall overlooking the city. Gogo, Honey, and Wasabi were waiting patiently for someone while the cold breeze brush against their body. A familiar blue and orange figure suddenly jumped on top of the roof to join with the others.
"Well, it's about time you showed up!" Wasabi angrily said.
"Sorry, I had to grab a bite to eat!" Fred burped under his suit. "Can't work as a superhero on an empty stomach. Mmm, burritos~"
"You were late for half an hour," Wasabi reminded him.
"Did anyone managed to call Tadashi?" Gogo asked. "I couldn't reach him on his communicator."
"Maybe it was damaged and he didn't know it?" Honey suggested.
"He still should have remembered we're supposed to meet up here tonight," Gogo said. "Let's go fetch him."
"He might still be on his way here," Wasabi said. He looked conflicted to leave their spot even though he's worried about their friend.
Honey is staring at the distance. "Guys, did you hear that?"
Everyone turned to where she is pointing. The sound of police sirens was heard in the distance, coming straight from the neighborhood where the Lucky Cat cafe is located. The group realized something is wrong.
"Let's move!" Gogo ordered. Her dark visor slid down, completely concealing her face. Wasabi and Honey's visors did the same as well.
Big Hero 6 then dashed towards the location, leaping over rooftops with such ferocious speed. They stopped and stood on top of a store, hidden from sight, when a horrible scene reached their eyes.
The green truck that belong to Aunt Cass was lying on top of a smashed police car outside the Lucky Cat cafe.
A worried crowd has formed outside the cafe, talking among themselves. The superhero team tried to find Tadashi and their aunt in the crowd but they found the latter sitting on a tabled near the window inside the cafe, being interrogated by a female police officer. Cass looked pale with shock and distraught. Gogo, for some reason, was particularly surprised to see the female officer.
"Why is she doing here... ?" she groaned under her breath.
"What's going on here?" Fred asked in a worried tone. "Should one of us go and see what exactly happened?"
Gogo, Wasabi, and Honey then looked at him.
A minute later, Fred entered the cafe, without his kaiju costume. Aunt Cass was relieved to see him.
"Fred, you're here!" Cass cried.
"Miss Cass, what happened outside? Where's Tadashi?" Fred asked her.
"That's what we're trying to figure out," the police officer said. "Are you a friend of Tadashi Hamada?"
"Y-yeah," Fred nodded reluctantly. "Is he in trouble?"
"He could be, but do you mind answering a few questions for us? I'm Detective June Park."
She pulled out a bag of what looked like to be damaged microbots. "These were retrieved from the old Krei Tech lab that was destroyed several days ago this afternoon. We called Mr. Alistair Krei and he identified them for us and said they were microbots, built by Tadashi Hamada's little brother, whom I presumed to have died in a fire accident at the exhibition hall of SFIT."
"Hiro built them, alright," Fred replied. "But what's this got to do with Tadashi?"
Detective Park turned to her after putting away the bag. "We had a desk officer from the station telling us that Mr. Hamada phoned him a few weeks ago about these same 'microbots', and he claimed they were stolen and used by a man in a kabuki mask. We assumed it must be same suspect who started the fire. However, when I arrived here to ask him a few questions... Tadashi Hamada suddenly fled."
Fred's eyes widened.
"What do you mean fled?"
"As soon we arrived, Mr. Hamada was in the garage and he put on this strange helmet," Park stopped so she could remember what happened next. The images were still fresh on her mind, but she still couldn't believe the things she just witnessed. "I don't know what exactly happened, but he had the tiny robots fly out from these trash bins and attacked me and nearly Miss Hamada here. He even smashed my car, but nobody got seriously hurt."
However, Park began to rub her shoulder and winced in pain. Then she continued, "By the time I called for backup, he escaped."
Fred became silent as he absorbed all this information. He felt as though all air was removed his lungs. He saw Aunt Cass's face contorted with pain.
"You wouldn't know where Mr. Hamada would have gone to, would you?" Park asked Fred. She wore a serious expression. "I know he may be your friend, but friendship shouldn't be an excuse to protect a possible suspect who may be responsible for the SFIT fire and the destruction of Krei Tech facility."
"My nephew is NOT a criminal!" Aunt Cass protested through angrily. "He's a good boy who just wanted to help people!"
"Miss Hamada," Park began but then she was interrupted by a police officer who hurried inside the cafe.
"Park! We got the masked suspect heading east into Union Square!" he shouted. "Backup is requested!"
Park immediately nodded. Before she could join the officer, she turned to Aunt Cass and Fred.
"We'll keep in touch," she told them.
"Wait, your last name Park sounds familiar," Fred suddenly said.
Park smiled a little and shrugged. "I have a little sister who attends the same college where Mr. Hamada attend," she said. "Today was my first time meeting him since he's friends with her. Sang-hwa is her real name, but according to her close friends, she's known as..."
"Gogo. I was the one who gave her that nickname," Fred sheepishly smiled. Well, that would explain where Gogo's sense of justice came from, he thought with mild amusement.
"... So you're the hobo nitwit she mentioned a lot," Park muttered with a deadpan stare. "She thought you lived under a bridge."
As soon the officers leave, Cass went to the back of the cafe, and Fred heard her breaking down in tears. Realizing what he must do, he quickly left the cafe and joined the others in a small alley in the shadows.
"Well, what happened?" Gogo asked. "Where's Tadashi?"
Fred became quiet. He didn't know what to tell them as he quickly puts on his costume.
"I think he's in trouble," he said as he donned the top head of his kaiju suit.
Down at Union Square, Tadashi used the microbots to race through the city while the police cars chased after him. His heart was pounding and his thoughts were all jumbled up inside his head. Right now, the only thing he could think of is leaving San Fransokyo and not be caught.
He remembered what happened earlier in his home when that pesky detective came by...
It was after dinner when Aunt Cass showed Detective June Park into the garage where Tadashi is, the inventor had just put on the dark clothing of his supersuit. He had to lie to the detective that it was his special "exercise suit". Cass then left the two of them alone.
Then Park was asking him questions about the SFIT showcase fire, his phone call to the police station about the mysterious man in a Kabuki mask, and the destruction of the old Krei Tech lab.
At first, Tadashi wanted to her the truth about Abigail Callaghan, and him starting a superhero team with his friends from college. But then he remembered how useless the police were when they didn't believe him or find out clues about the fire way earlier.
Then he saw Park opened opened a lid of one of the bins.
"I thought you said a masked man stole your brother's microbots," she said suspiciously. "But how come they're right here?"
Tadashi became silent. His eyes spotted his helmet with neurotransmitter sitting on the desk. He wondered how fast he can reach for it.
Then he burst into a low chuckle.
"What are you implying here, Miss Detective?" he asked, his voice so hollow. "That I killed my own brother and stole his invention so I can moonlight as a criminal?"
"I never said that," Park said. "Why don't we go down to the station and you can tell us more-"
"It might as well be true, about me being responsible for Hiro's death," Tadashi interrupted her. "Sure, I meant well for trying to push him to use his brains properly, but look where that led him." He gave her a dark, regretful look. "I am such a lousy brother."
Then he ran for his helmet and ducked behind the bins. Park tried to catch him but as soon Tadashi donned on his headgear, the microbots sot out from the bins and knocked her down. Then he used the microbots to break down the garage door.
Aunt Cass came down after hearing the noise and she nearly had a heart attack when he saw her nephew standing on top of the rising microbots. Tadashi felt guilty for letting his aunt see him like this but there's no point going back. He saw Park running out of the garage, and raised her gun at him.
"Freeze! Stay where you are!" she ordered him.
Tadashi rolled his eyes and knocked her backwards, her gun flying out of her hand. She was then smacked against Aunt Cass' truck and she fell to the ground. She struggled to move, grunting in pain, when she saw the microbots lifting her police car above her head. She became paralyzed in fear and images of her little sister, whom she might never see again, flashed before her eyes. Tadashi was about to smash it down on Park when he heard Aunt Cass yell at him to stop.
Tadashi look at her and saw fear in her eyes. That was it, the moment he no longer felt worthy to be this woman's nephew again.
He dropped the police car on top of the truck, and Park was lucky enough to get away in time. Seeing that there is no time to get his carbon-fiber armor, Tadashi turned to leave instead.
"Tadashi, come back!" Aunt Cass begged her nephew as she watches him leave the neighborhood.
Civilians nearby gasped and ran away when the mysterious figure wearing a dark visored helmet and his strange tiny robots came near them. It was so difficult to maneuver through the busy streets and avoid many people and obstacles; Tadashi realized he had no other choice and he didn't care anymore.
He grabbed a parked car with the microbots and tossed them at the police cars behind him. He didn't look back to see what damaged he cause and forced himself to not listen to the crash and the terrified screams of passserbys. He leaped over an incoming cable car with grace and he was soon at the intersection of Union Square. He saw more police cars waiting for him, keeping him moving any further. He stopped in the middle of the intersection and stood on top of misshaped pillar of microbots, trying to find another exit. He heard a police helicopter flying above him.
"You are under arrest!" he heard a police officer calling out to him. "Drop your weapon... whatever it is... and put your hands in the air!"
Tadashi scanned the crowds, policemen and civilian alike, below him. He was breathing heavily inside his helmet and felt his own panic and anger rising inside him. Why couldn't they just leave him alone?
"Stay back!" he warned them. He held out a hand a wave of microbots slid forward and violently forced the police cars aside, forming an exit for him.
The policemen raised their guns and opened fire. However, Tadashi summoned a spherical wall of microbots to protect him. Then he glided around the intersection, his shield still up, and knocked down the policemen and threw them around like ragdolls. He didn't care how many he injured or killed. Nothing else matters to him him now. Rage and desperation clouded his thoughts.
After all officers were taken down, he remembered the police helicopter flying above him. He shot a microbot pillar up into the sky and grabbed the rotorcraft before it can escape. He swings it around and threw it towards a billboard of a nearby building. The pilot and police inside braced for impact when a pink chemical goo suddenly exploded before them. The helicopter crashed into the soft, bouncy goo which thankfully prevented it from crashing into the billboard.
Tadashi recognized the chemical concoction and he spun around to see his friends jumping into the scene. They all look horrified at the mess and destruction he caused.
"Tadashi! What are you doing?!" Wasabi cried. "Why are you doing this?!"
The inventor slowly shook his head; none of his friends will ever understand his feelings... He's not good enough to be part of Big Hero 6 anymore since he committed so many unforgivable acts and dirtied his hands and soul in the process... He's no longer the perfect, golden boy they once go to school with anymore.
He's now a shadow of his former self, he's like a ghost.
"Stay away from me!" Tadashi snarled.
He sent a wave microbots at them, trying to keep his friends back but they kept coming. He saw one of Gogo's discs flying towards his head and moved just in time before it hit his helmet. She was trying to knock out the neurotransmitter.
With another wave, he tried to hit her but she missed his attacks thanks to her speed. He saw Honey was about to throw a couple of her blue chem-balls at him but she stopped. He knew she was hesitant to attack her friend. Tadashi made a menacing move toward her. Honey, in her panic, threw the chem-balls and they missed him.
"Fire Breath!" Fred then blew a blast of flames right at the chem-balls instead of Tadashi.
The chem-balls released a blue fog-like smoke which covered the entire intersection. Tadashi
Tadashi immediately formed a wall to protect him from the fire. He began to feel a little sick in his stomach just smelling the smoke...
The four friends tried to find Tadashi through the smoke but he managed to escape.
Tadashi rushed along the street until he came to the port of San Fransokyo Bay. He looked over his shoulder to see his friends relentlessly ran after him, jumping from rooftop to rooftop, as he neared the cold, dark water. Faint sirens of more police cars were approaching fast. He had to think quick.
"Tadashi, wait!" Honey called after him.
"Tadashi is gone!" he screamed at them and they stopped in their tracks. He panted heavily before suddenly bursting out a heartbreaking, twisted laughter that brought shivers down his friends' spine. "It's natural that a dead person should have a different name that fits his crimes. Say Fred..."
He looked towards the school mascot, a creepy smile broke across his lips. "What was that name you wanted to give to Abigail not so long ago? Something like... Yokai?"
Gogo stepped forward and lifted her visor so can see him clearly.
"Tadashi, come back to us," she said. "You are our best friend and you found Big Hero 6. ... Is this what Hiro would have wanted?"
The inventor stared out to the layer of fog above the bay and then glanced down at the microbots at his feet. Then he turned back to his friends.
"My brother is dead," he hissed with venom.
He then took a cautious step forward and his friends tried to run after him again. The microbots sunk into the bay, but he was standing just several feet above the water. This is good enough. Without stopping and looking back, he moved across the bay. He doesn't know where he's going but at least he'll be far away from everyone.
His friends stopped on the pier and they all sadly watched Tadashi disappear into the fog. They were too far behind to catch up to him.
"I don't understand..." Honey said weakly. "Tadashi..."
"The police will be here, we have to leave," Gogo told the others. "Move out."
"We can't go, he's still out there!" Fred cried. "We... we have to go after him!"
"Move... out," Gogo repeated. Wasabi noticed how disappointed and hurt she sounded, he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
When the police arrived at the pier, they found out that Tadashi Hamada has escaped from them and the four mysterious superheroes had disappeared as well.
Days ago, after finding out Abigail is planning to rebuild the mysterious Baymax robot, Krei's assistant secretly had transferred the both of them to Akuma Island where Abigail can work on her weapon without being discovered.
Deep inside the giant facility, in a secret room right under abandoned lab which was once used for testing the portals, the daughter of the late Professor Callaghan is working.
Abigail had removed the broken red armor pieces and the soft vinyl shell from the deactivated Baymax robot. She even started making 3D-printed carbon-fiber armor for her ultimate battlebot as she made tweaks on the endoskeletal figure. She was greatly impressed over how sophisticated and advanced this robot's technology is built and she quietly complimented the creator for his work under her breath. Sitting on top of table is a USB containing old footages that seemed to have been recorded by this robot and were carefully retrieved from the projector on Baymax's chest. Next to the USB is a red chip with a drawing of a skull which has been found inside the access port.
A thought keeps bugging Abigail about where did this robot came from and why did it enter through the same portal she escaped from; it felt as though it was fate had brought this robot to her.
Speaking of which, she wondered if the engineers and technicians she kidnapped have already finished adding the final touches to the new portal by now. Soon, she will get to see him again...
"Dad," she whispered sadly. "Just wait a little longer. I promise, we'll meet each other soon."
As she adjusted the joints of the legs and arms of the endoskeleton, she heard a door opening behind her. Krei's secretary pushed Hiro Hamada into the room, who looked smaller and skinnier ever since he was kidnapped. Hiro's hands were tied together by handcuffs to prevent him from fighting back and he was shoved into the chair.
"Ow, don't be rough," he grumbled.
"Hello, Hiro," Abigail stopped working and turned to face the young boy. She puts on a fake sweet smile for him. "I hope you didn't miss me when I was gone."
"Not really," Hiro said, narrowing his eyes. "I expected you to never come back."
"Now, Hiro," Abigail warned him in a dangerous tone as she placed her hands on her hips. "You know if something were to happen to me, you and the rest of the engineers and technicians would slowly waste away in this island and would never be found."
Hiro snorted, looking away from her. "I don't care what happens to me. My brother's gone..."
Both Abigail and Krei's secretary share a look; apparently, Hiro was still under the assumption that his big brother died in the fire at the SFIT showcase, and neither women are in no hurry to tell him the truth.
Abigail walked over to Hiro and placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it roughly.
"You may not care about what happens to you," she said to him, "but you WILL care about what I'm going to tell you. If you refuse to help me again, I will find your aunt and burn her down like what my father did to your brother."
Hiro's eyes widened and the mental image of his aunt, his only family he has left, going up in flames made his blood turned to ice. As much as he hated working with this woman, the young boy had no other choice. He cannot lose someone else again.
"I'll do it," he gulped.
Abigail smirked and ruffled his hair much to his disgust.
"What a good boy," she said. "You can start helping me right now. Release him, Candace."
Krei's secretary takes out a small key and removed the handcuffs from Hiro. The latter rubbed his sore wrists as he looked over to the robotic figure in the back of the room. He immediately recognized it.
"Is that Baymax? How did you get him?" he demand. "That's Tadashi's project, he worked so hard on it!"
"That's none of your business," Abigail snapped at him. "You're going to help me upgrade and build the biggest battlebot around. You're a boy, surely you might like that."
Hiro felt anger at her defiling his brother's memory by misusing Baymax. He wanted to refuse her offer but he remembered her threat. He still kept throwing her a dirty glare though Abigail ignored it.
"Now, what weapons shall we give to dearest Baymax?" she asked him. She paused and chuckled. "You know, after we're finished with him... 'Baymax' doesn't seem to fit this guy."
She turned to look at the endoskeleton, picturing a huge, heartless robot with dark armor.
"Since we're rebuilding him on this island, 'Akumax' is rather appropriate, don't you think?"
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