Chapter 3
As seen on the television, police cars and firetrucks were already on the scene of the bank robbery when Gogo pulled the team into the area. She looked around as she pulled the keys out of the ignition. No sign of Hiro yet. What's taking him so long?
"What should we do? Hiro is not here yet?" Honey Lemon asked aloud.
"Fear not my lady," Fred started as he flipped his dragon head over his own and opened the back door of the van.
"No! Fred come back!" Honey Lemon shouted after him.
Gogo let out a heavy sigh and placed her chewing gum on the dashboard. "Wait here. I will bring him back. We don't move without Hiro," Gogo said opening her door.
Wasabi glanced back at Honey Lemon and shrugged his shoulders. Honey Lemon sighed. Fred was always rushing into things like this and she knew he did it to impress her. She was not blind to the hints Fred threw her way and his crush was growing on her. And it did not help that he ran into danger without back up, leaving her worrying in the van. She suddenly began to imagine her life without Fred. No more pestering for "science" stuff. No more nerd talk in his room. No more miraculous saves (by either Honey Lemon saving Fred or Fred saving Honey Lemon). No more team cheerleader. No more…Fred. She suddenly became very sad and hugged herself.
Wasabi and Honey Lemon turned their heads toward the bank as they heard two gun shots go off. Fear gripped Honey Lemon and her ears rang as she didn't realize that Wasabi was pulling her out of the car.
"We got to get in there and help them!" Wasabi was telling Honey Lemon.
Her hearing returned to normal and she glanced up at Wasabi. She shook her head and grabbed her bag of chem-balls.
"What about Hiro?" she asked.
"Guys!" Hiro and Baymax landed next to them. Honey Lemon felt relief as she saw their friend. "Where's Fred and Gogo?" Hiro asked looking around.
Honey Lemon sighed while Wasabi told Hiro about Fred trying to be a hero and the gunshots they just heard. Hiro's eyes widened and he glanced at the bank.
"Ok, let's go. But be careful, we don't want any innocents getting hurt," Hiro said to his friends.
Hiro, Baymax, Wasabi, and Honey Lemon walked up the steps to the massive bank. The blinds had been pulled on all the windows and the smart architects who designed the building put massive, heavy wooden doors on the entrance.
"There's no way to look inside," Wasabi commented.
"Well, let's try the door," Hiro said gripping the handle of the door. As he started to pull it open a voice on a loud intercom interjected him.
"Halt! Do not open that door if you want to see your friends alive!" the male voice said.
"Hiro! Do as he says!" that was Gogo's voice.
Hiro lifted his hand off the handle and raised his hands in a surrender. He did not want to be the reason his friends got hurt.
"I just want to talk!" Hiro called out. He looked at the camera facing the door hoping that whoever was holding the bank hostage could see his surrendering pose.
"We are talking," the voice said.
Hiro let out an audible sigh, "How about talking face to face instead of shouting into nothing?"
"Fine, but only you may enter," the voice reluctantly said.
"Let me bring in my robot. He is a medical companion so he can tend to anyone who is injured," Hiro said glancing back at Baymax. He was a bit relieved that he didn't bring him suited up. He surely would have looked threatening. He just needed to get Baymax inside with him to spring a surprise.
The voice did not respond on the intercom. Instead, they heard a click on the door, which was the locking mechanism turning to an unlock position.
"Well, he didn't say no. Guess that means you're coming too," Hiro said to Baymax. "Wasabi, Honey Lemon, go to the police chief and stay by the phone with him. We might be calling you from inside with his demands. Be ready for anything."
"Please bring back Fred and Gogo alive!" Honey Lemon almost pleaded with Hiro.
"I will. Be ready," Hiro said once more and put his hand around the handle of the bank door and pulled it open. He opened the door for Baymax and pushed him inside and he let the door close behind him, leaving him in a very dark room.
He started forward but stopped when suddenly the lights lit up the area. He was in a foyer. In front of him were another set of glass doors. He tried the handle but it was locked.
"That's close enough," a mad said.
The man walked forward with his gun pointed at Hiro. He wore all black and had a sock mask covering his face. Typical disguise, Hiro thought to himself as he raised his hands again in a surrender showing he was not armed.
"At least let my robot tend to the wounded," Hiro said.
The man nodded and walked close to the doors and pushed one open.
"Go Baymax," Hiro said with his hands still raised.
Baymax obediently obeyed and shuffled out the door. Another armed man came from the hallway and ushered Baymax away, leaving Hiro and the man with the gun alone.
"Who are you?" the man asked.
"Hiro Hamada," he replied.
"You have interesting friends with interesting inventions," the man said. "I wonder what invention yours is."
"You have already seen mine. He passed you moments ago," Hiro said.
"Ah! I see."
"Why are you holding these people hostage?" Hiro asked.
"How do you think I will leave this bank alive and rich?"
"Are people's lives worth so little to you?" Hiro asked.
"On the contrary, they are worth so much more."
"You can't measure the value of a person's life in dollars," Hiro said.
"Shut it, boy," the man spat, obviously irritated with Hiro now.
Hiro backed off and changed direction of the conversation, hoping to calm the man down.
"I told you my name. What's yours?" Hiro asked.
"You can call me Lucas," he replied.
"Ok Lucas, I'll be honest with you about the situation outside. The chief of police is here with the fire department along with the rest of my friends. Their top priority right now is the hostages. How many do you have?"
Lucas' hand faltered on his gun, surprised by Hiro's question. He did not expect him to be so frank with him. He's going to trick me, I know it, Lucas thought. His face turned back to a scowl and he now aimed his gun at Hiro's head.
"I'm not telling you. I don't even know why I let you in to being with!" Lucas said raising his voice.
This conversation was not going as Hiro expected.
"Can you tell me why you are robbing this bank? Give me something to tell the police chief and maybe he can strike a deal with you," Hiro said hoping he could give him something.
Lucas shook his gun at Hiro, his hand inching closer to the trigger. The man's eyes looked hurt and Hiro could see that the man was struggling with his emotions. He wished Baymax was still with him. He would be able to calm the man down at least.
"You want to know why I'm here?!" Lucas half screamed. He dropped his arm holding the gun and the man bent his knees and quietly sobbed.
Hiro's eyebrows went up in shock as Lucas exposed his feelings to him.
"I needed money. I made a bad deal with a man named Jiro Akita," Lucas said.
"Jiro Akita? Who is that?" Hiro asked. The name sounded familiar but he couldn't remember who he was.
Lucas laughed, "Who hasn't heard of Jiro Akita? He's the Yakuza leader and most famous bot fighter alive. I…I lost a fight to him. He took everything from me. He wanted to take my daughter and have her become a geisha. I didn't want to sell my daughter to that life. So I bargained for her life over a bot fight and I lost. I figured if I got enough money, I could return to Jiro and pay to get her back."
Lucas was in sobs now as Hiro watched him behind the glass. He suddenly felt very sorry for this man and his friends. Love is a powerful force and he could understand doing something extreme for the person you love.
"Lucas, I…" Hiro started but stopped himself. I, what? I'm sorry? I understand? No. Hiro didn't fully understand the pain this man felt. He didn't have children and his parents passed away when he was three years old. I want to help. The Yakuza was a bad organized Japanese mafia group. He remembered hearing the name Jiro now. Jiro Akita was the leader of the Inagura family, the only clan that extended beyond Japan and went international making most of their profits from bot fights. As an ex-bot fighter, Hiro knew where to look for the fights. And there was one bot fighter he knew had a connection with the Inagura family. Yama.
Hiro's mind went wild with his thoughts. He wanted to help Lucas. He truly did, even though the man was foolish to bargain with someone's life over a bot fight. And he was even more foolish to put more people's lives at risk to get his daughter back. He feared there would be no saving him from the police, but if he could put his mind at rest by bringing his daughter back, maybe he could just be grateful knowing his daughter was safe.
"Lucas, I want to help you get your daughter back," Hiro started.
Lucas looked up from the floor.
"But, I don't know what I can do about the police. What you have done here is very foolish. You threatened the lives of innocent people and I cannot let that go. But I don't want your daughter to suffer. She doesn't deserve that. Let the hostages go. Let the police take you and I promise to rescue your daughter," Hiro said.
"You would do that?" Lucas asked. "You don't even know me."
"I know Jiro is a much bigger threat and he needs to be dealt with. Let me do this for you," Hiro pleaded.
Lucas starred at Hiro for moments then nodded his head in agreement, trusting Hiro to be true to his word. And he would be.